Coke has not always delivered the “real thing” for Teamsters. Contract after contract the company has fizzled out, failing to provide anything close to the compensation workers and their families deserve.

Memories of a week-long strike in 2010 still burn for more senior members of Local 117. “Everybody was upset,” said Shop Steward Matias Carreño, recalling his time on the picket line. “They wanted to take away healthcare for our retirees. A lot of people struggled to pay their bills. It was a case of big billion dollar company not caring about how hard we work to support our families.”

Fifteen years later, a lot has changed. Thanks to strong leadership and a powerful coalition of Local Unions, over 800 Swire/Coca-Cola Teamsters across Western Washington are celebrating a new contract with record wage increases, savings on their medical benefits, and meaningful progress toward a more secure retirement.

“It’s going to make a big difference,” said Shop Steward Van Huynh. “It makes us catch up with our competitors. It’s a lot of money. We’re just happy. We work hard and we deserve it.”

Huynh and his Local 117 co-workers voted overwhelmingly to approve the three-year deal at a meeting at the Tukwila Union hall on June 1. On the same day, members of the four other Local Unions in the coalition – Locals 38, 174, 313, and 589 – also ratified their deals. The agreements cover drivers, production workers, merchandisers, mechanics, and sales representatives – all Teamsters-represented classifications across Western Washington.

“It’s way better than the last two contracts,” said Carreño. “The healthcare is going to be cheaper for us, and we’re getting more in the pension. Now they have to honor our seniority – everybody’s really happy about that change.”

Getting to the deal wasn’t easy. In May, members voted 99% to authorize a strike, sending an unmistakable message that they were prepared to shut down operations if necessary. In negotiations, the 33-member Union team was crystal clear: Put a fair proposal on the table by expiration or there will be trouble. As expiration approached, the company agreed to the coalition’s key demands.  

“We let the company know we weren’t going to let them slow walk this,” said Secretary-Treasurer Paul Dascher, one of the lead negotiators for the coalition. “Workers at Coke were overdue for a contract that recognizes their hard work and sacrifice. This deal gets our members what they deserve – competitive wages, seniority protections, and benefits that will save them over the long haul. I couldn’t be happier for our members and their families.”