Striking workers say Coke cut off health benefits

boxhead said on August 27, 2010 at 1:12 PM

newsmanr6 you are wrong about unions being the downfall of the auto industry. Do some homework and get yourself informed before you blurt out stupidity. The number of non-union employees far outnumbered the union employee's at General Motors. The 56 million dollar compensated Rick Wagner was sitting there during negotiations with a high priced negotiating team on his side and he not only agreed to but he signed these union contracts and I do agree that some of this stuff was over the top. Maybe you would like to blame labor unions for the banking industry and their downfall which caused this disaster that we are going through in this country right now. One of the WAMU CEO's worked for something like 15 days and walked with 13 million. I suppose organized labor was to blame for that act of thievery as well.

boxhead said on August 27, 2010 at 12:53 PM

Just for the record, the Teamsters have not struck the soft drink industry in this area for over 30 years. I think the last strike was around 1974 so they have not been greedy. These guys make less than 25.00 an hour, they pay their taxes, support their families and contribute to everything else that is expected of them, yet uninformed people are bashing them. Whats's wrong with this nations thinking? Illegal immigrants are making that much, sending the money out of the country, paying no taxes and bleeding our system for food stamps and medical care and some people have no problem with this. Have everyone gone mad ? This company is over 100 years old, it has survived two world wars, the depression and many economical downturns. They can afford to take care of their employees who played a big part in making this a great company. I am talking managers to janitors, they are all employee's.

boxhead said on August 27, 2010 at 12:40 PM

dakota001 Your points are well taken and I don't think that Coca-Cola would really cut off a benefit that had already been paid for. There will be much blaming on both sides until this is settled. However cutting retiree's benefits is one of the strike issues. I agree the economy has slowed but like everyone else they need to take a little less profit until it picks up. Just as we citizens have to do during hard times when we keep getting taxed. I agree that this is not a good time to strike but I was there and voted on many contracts and I can say with certainty that the company bargained throughout the busy summer then pulled everything off the table to force a strike. They are not fools, they know the economic times are to their advantage at this time. Thats just smart business but too much business and not enough ethics is a bad formula for a company of this caliber. Coke is second to none, I mean that. Atlanta will likely send out a negotiating team to settle this.

dakota001 said on August 27, 2010 at 11:25 AM

Boxhead, the article above said "500 Coke employees across hit the picket lines Monday. Three days later, strikers say the company terminated the benefits. The workers claim they already paid for this month's coverage." It says nothing about the striking employees being worried about the retiree's benefits. They are upset because their own benefits got cut. When you willingly leave your position without retiring, the company has every right to cut your medical benefits immediately. That is what is happening with millions of people who are being laid off and having to leave their position unwillingly. If a company decides to extend the medical benefits for a time after the employee leaves or is laid off, in both cases that is completely up to the company. Personnally, I think it is bad judgment and bad PR for unions and their rank and file to go on strike during these bad economic times. If anything, stick it out without striking right now and wait for better times.

uteconf said on August 27, 2010 at 11:22 AM

This is so wrong in many ways, that the Coke Corporation is allowed to terminate the health insurance on the striking workers since the premiums already should have been deducted from the wages last month for this month coverage. I support the strike 100% and the workers should not lose their health insurance when they retire. My son in-law has been working for Coke since he was in his early twenties and worked very hard for the company for 30 years or so and always giving more than 100%. I think that Coke should reinstate the medical coverage ASAP to all workers and negotiate with the workers in good faith and not play dirty tricks on them, like they did just now.

boxhead said on August 27, 2010 at 9:43 AM

As I explained in my first comment I am retired. When I worked for Coke I wouldn't have had time to get on this thread and comment like many of you mental giants are doing. I wonder who's nickel you perfect non-union employee's are squandering. Also I personally know these striking workers as well as the management at Coca-Cola and none of them are evil people. The process will run it's course as it should. Both sides win some and both sides lose some. No hard feelings though, before I worked for Coca-Cola I was a Marine defending your right as an American to be ignorant. I guess I have myself to blame To those who know what it means Semper Fidelis

boxhead said on August 27, 2010 at 9:35 AM

Eightwrong: You certainly did miss something but that probably happened at birth and you couldn't help it. Either side can force a strike and right now the climate is in favor of the Coca-Cola Company. They do not hire idiots to negotiate their contracts. Milkbone: During my thirty some years of working there I outlasted all the managers, I would say that was backbone. The Bellevue facility has a multi million dollar warm fill production line in place that has never produced even one bottle. Thats a bad and costly management decision. dakota001: the retiree's did not walk off the job, they did their part. Last: Nobody has answered why this would be a better nation if we all worked for less,

jackwong said on August 27, 2010 at 9:05 AM

Coke is unionized? No wonder why it tastes better than pepsi. Because only unionized labor is high quality.

newsmanr6 said on August 27, 2010 at 8:29 AM

Go Coke! No work, no benefits! Its amazing in this day and age people still hang on to the 80 year outdated mentality of unions. It was the downfall of the auto industry and maybe now companies have finally had enough.

dakota001 said on August 27, 2010 at 7:44 AM

When an employee willfully walks off of a job, the company has every right to terminate their medical benefits. If you do not like the conditions, wages and benefits that the company you are employed with, you have every right to look elsewhere for something that you like. The company has NO obligation to pay your benefits once you walk off the job. Coke employees, you have chosen to leave your jobs willingly in an economic environment that has MILLIONS laid off right now and they are having to pay for COBRA and did NOT leave their jobs willingly.

milkbone said on August 27, 2010 at 7:12 AM

Class warfare at it's finest. Those management make the correct decisions that keep you employed. Without them you would have no job. Without you, well there are others who would be glad to have a job. Why do you crybabies think we have border problems. BooHoo they have more than we do. People risk their lives to get into this country while all you do is whine. Some to get the freebies you libs entice them with and many to work. You are NOT the backbone. A backbone keeps things together and in line. Without a backbone well you are just a pile of crybaby. My health care seemed to be quite reasonable until Democrats diddled with it several years ago. The Obamunist and Peloski just made it worse. Unions and high taxes are why jobs are leaving this country but you are dupes for the union leaders who fill you full of lies.

freedomfrank said on August 27, 2010 at 4:27 AM

I'm surprised we havent heard how hard these soda delivery folks work keeping us hydrated with the sugar water. Reminds me of the Waste Management strike,, "its not about the money" You know what,,, delivering soda pop aint a career, its an unskilled, mindless job. Get back in yer trucks and give us our soda pop!!!!!! SODA! SODA! SODA! SODA!

eightwrong said on August 26, 2010 at 11:05 PM

empathy is right, the strikers can pay for COBRA just like any other Joe Schmo who walks out on their job. @boxhead...maybe I missed something? "who" is really calling this strike? It amazes me Coke held out this long. The whole plunder and pillage the retirement fund/benefits happened years ago for most companies.

boxhead said on August 26, 2010 at 10:29 PM

Just for the record, yes I am a Coca-Cola retiree, and no I am not on their retiree medical plan so I wll lose nothing. FYI: That contract was due in May. The summer months are when sales boom in the soft drink industry with Seafair being the biggest day of the year. I would say the Teamsters have been more than fair in postponing a strike until September considering that soft drink sales slump from September to November. With that being said you might want to reconsider who is really calling this strike.

boxhead said on August 26, 2010 at 10:21 PM

First off Coca-Cola is a quality company second to none, no mistake about that. I worked for them for over 30 years and retired in 2005. I have seem many managers and CEO's come and go during that period. Some were good, some were bad and some were excellent. Notice that I saw them come and go but I was there for 30 years. The workers are the backbone of the company, any company. The retiree's put in their time and were promised retiree benefits. They cannot go back and they are no longer able to vote. Coca-Cola's contributions to retiree's healthcare is not substantial anyway and it's a shame that they should belittle themselves in trying take that away from people who have served them well. For all you people commenting against these striking workers, do you really think it would be a better world if we all made less and were poorer ? In any country where workers have no representation or rights all you have is a sweatshop in a third world country. Is that good ?

davesea said on August 26, 2010 at 7:55 PM

I went on strike once, it was over working conditions..I was out of work for 3 months.... loss those wages and bennies so the fat cat union reps' could continue receiving their $$. I'll never go on strike again.

williebeeman8211 said on August 26, 2010 at 7:38 PM

dunno if its been said but, coke has already starting flying in non union workers from around the country saw a driver and i think merch from vegas today delivering in tacoma

maynerdgkrebbs said on August 26, 2010 at 7:37 PM

seattlelovemongr,actually it comes down to letting people know if you keep voting for anti-business representatives and costs rise ,the company is no longer going to pay at both ends. The unions support Dembs who continue make it more difficult to do business in the state and the economy still in free fall . Unions continue to support the same people who have never run a business or a lemonade stand. There is such a thing as book smart as opposed to street smart. Most Dembs rely on books , but never have any practical knowledge. Thus if something goes awry of what the book says they are lost. To prove my point unemployment in Wah is 9% ,real unemployment those working part time instead of full time ,or those who moved from unemployment to welfare and food stamps is over 18% . Thus there is no income. The Dembs want to have an income tax. when there is no income to tax.

honestthinker said on August 26, 2010 at 3:43 PM

Coke will probably have 500 open jobs soon. Stay Tuned......

empathy_fatigue said on August 26, 2010 at 3:00 PM

While the company may have ceased subsidizing their health care after they went out on strike, they did not lose their health care. COBRA will be available to them and they will have a full 60 days to elect coverage in arrears of their strike date. They will just have to pay the full premium themselves. Maybe their strike fund will be able to pick up the subsidy.

ruba61 said on August 26, 2010 at 2:44 PM

No mixer?? You mean i have to drink my rum straight now????

seattlelovemongr said on August 26, 2010 at 2:29 PM

it really comes down to companies no longer desire to take care of their frontline.....lets cheat them..make them work more and provide less..so that our Execs,admin and CEO's get as much as we can.....wages are getting less...no retirement...most have to pay for their own healtcare plans...while companpies do just the minimun required by the government....so they can get those tax breaks and bailouts....

yessir said on August 26, 2010 at 2:16 PM

maynerd... I know you believe your ideas make absolute sense... that you have some divine right to judge and blast others...problem is... no one cares what you think maynerd... kind of hurts... doesn't it... to know you don't matter... may-nerd... so appropriate.

maynerdgkrebbs said on August 26, 2010 at 12:49 PM

These strikers are legal AMERICAN citizens!! Let Ma0bama care take care of it. Where is patty Murray and maria Cantdewell,both promised health care for you. The illegals get free health care why don't these whiners and cry babies? You are on strike you are no longer employed,go get another job .

ronulus said on August 26, 2010 at 12:22 PM

Wonder how many of them are republicans and tea partiers. Maybe they will finally figure out there are consequences to making bad choices.

ronulus said on August 26, 2010 at 12:20 PM

Anyone see a problem in how we structure affordable healthcare. Only country in the world where your care is dependent on someone else's whims and desire for another vacation home.