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"Last year alone, the CEO of this company (AB InBev) got a 90 per cent wage increase. His salary went from $1 million to $2 million a year. And they're making money off the backs of 45 workers, people trying to put food on the table for their families, people trying to provide shelter and clothing for their children. And he's making $2 million a year? It's simply wrong." - James Clancy, NUPGE National President.
St. John's (25 Oct. 2013) - The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) brought solidarity to the striking workers at the Labatt factory in St. John's, Newfoundland yesterday. The strikers are members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE/NUPGE) and have been on the picket line for more than seven months.
Show of solidarity in the fight against Labatt global concessionary bargaining
The NAPE/NUPGE Convention has been taking place in St. John's since October 23. As part of its order of business, delegates from the floor were bused over on the NUPGE Fairness Express to show their solidarity with the picketers.
Union leaders from the Atlantic provinces also took part and thanked the workers for their struggle against this multi-billion dollar, multi-national corporation. The message from the rally was aimed at the employer was loud and clear: End scab labour, and get back to the table to negotiate a fair deal.
NUPGE National President James Clancy spoke to the NAPE members and especially the strikers saying, "This company, this multi-national corporation, making billions in profit, last year alone, the CEO of this company (AB InBev) got a 90 per cent wage increase over six years. His salary went from $1 million to $2 million a year. And they're making money off the backs of 45 workers, people trying to put food on the table for their families, people trying to provide shelter and clothing for their children. And he's making $2 million a year? It's simply wrong."
National boycott on Labatt import products
AB InBev, the parent company of Labatt, and its shareholders enjoy their massive profits thanks to the loyal and careful labour of workers around the world, just like those in St. John's. Yet if the corporation sees fit to demand that they accept concessions for the sake of a tiny bit more in profit, what will stop it from demanding similar concessions from its workers around the world?
Forty-five workers against a global corporate giant, taking in over $9 billion in after-tax profits each year.
NUPGE has been organizing solidarity campaign to pressure the company to get back to the table. The company refuses. In June 2013, at the NUPGE Convention, delegates from across Canada voted unanimously to support a national boycott against Labatt import products. Days later, the Canadian Labour Congress, added the voice of over three million workers to the boycott.
The products to boycott are:
- Stella Artois,
- Stella Artois Light,
- Beck's,
- Brahma,
- Hoegaarden,
- Leffe,
- Staropromen,
- Boddingtons,
- Bass,
- Löwenbräu and
- Ozujsko Pivo
You can show your solidarity with the strikers by visiting their Facebook page and sharing the boycott material on the NAPE website.
More information:
NUPGE delegates unanimously support striking NAPE members: vow to boycott Labatt imports
CLC endorses consumer boycott of Labatt imports: St. John's brewery workers on strike since April
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE