SAN DIEGO, Aug. 3 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A majority of the 75 Coca- Cola Enterprises (CCE) workers at the Oceanside, California facility voted today to elect the Teamsters as their bargaining representative. The drivers and warehouse employees cast their ballots in favor of representation by Teamsters Local 683 in San Diego, Calif.
The vote, conducted by the National Labor Relations Board, is an important step for the workers in achieving critical gains in the workplace. The CCE workers joined the Teamsters seeking improvements in wages and health care benefits.
"When the warehouse opened in February, workers contacted us about becoming union," said Shannon Silva, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 683. "We already represent soft drink drivers, bottlers and warehouseman at the other facilities in San Diego."
"I'd been a Teamster when I worked for Coke's location in San Diego," said Chris Refsnider, one of the Oceanside drivers. "I voted for the Teamsters because I believe belonging to the Teamsters can help us achieve lower health care costs. At Oceanside I am currently paying a large amount of money per month and that's a huge burden for my family."
Earlier this year, Teamsters in Southern California, Texas, Ohio, Atlanta and other cities protested Coke's opening of the formerly non-union Oceanside plant by rallying at numerous sporting events sponsored by Coca-Cola and its subsidiary brands. These rallies culminated in an historic rally in New York's Times Square, near Coke's giant video screen. Hundreds of Teamsters from across the country, as well as union leaders from Coke's overseas operations spoke at the rally.
"This victory for our new members at Oceanside enables us to bring a level playing field for good wages and benefits to more workers at Coke," said Jack Cipriani, Director of the Teamsters Brewery and Soft Drink Conference and Teamsters Vice President. "Teamster benefits are superior to any non-union facility. We are gearing up now to assist the local union with their contract negotiations."
The Teamsters Union represents more than 14,000 Coca-Cola and CCE employees nationwide. The Teamsters Union was founded in 1903 and represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Teamsters Local 683
