Further to my post from Friday morning, I have more information for you.

First, there are a number of links for you, so we can all stay up to date and on the same page:

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The CAW Local 973 has a Facebook page, and a Twitter account. Join, follow, participate.

If you use Twitter, please “retweet” posts using the hashtag #cokestrike – if you tweet, please remember to keep it clean, and above all, keep it truthful.

I will try to keep you all up to date, but in general I don’t know anything more than you do, and I’m just making sure that what IS known is shared via Facebook, Twitter, and this blog. Share my posts and tweets, and support each other.

Back to the business at hand. I called my last post “Strike Action” in error; what it really is is a LOCK OUT. As I mentioned earlier, Coke walked away from the table (I originally heard this happened at 4pm but an earlier commenter said it was actually 3pm) during the last day of negotiations, and didn’t come back. The Union (CAW Local 973) had every intention of staying and continuing negotiations, but they were not given that opportunity.

Let’s be clear, here; Coke walked out on the Union, and not the other way around as they would have you believe. In fact, they issued a press release saying:

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“Despite weeks of negotiations and a willingness by Coca-Cola to continue those discussions, the union chose to walk away and commence a strike before we could provide a comprehensive offer”

which is, in fact, an outright fabrication. A lie. The union was left sitting at an empty table while the company was busy arranging a lockout of their plant workers, demanding vehicles and equipment be returned, and erecting a massive fence around the perimeter.

I was there, I personally saw the fence going up hours before the negotiation deadline. If Coke had not been planning this all along, they would not have been so precisely organized. That was a massive fence, and they had the manpower there to erect it. This was planned well in advance.

The workers and the union did not want a strike. They wanted the company to deal with them fairly, and above board. This didn’t happen. Instead they’ve been left high and dry as Coke settled in for what is possibly a long-haul lock out. Coke has been stockpiling product in warehouses in anticipation of this lock out. They’ve been training managers to drive the delivery trucks for weeks. Tell me this wasn’t a planned maneuver.

Ok, then.

What can union members do? Support each other. Walk that picket line. STAY CALM. Stay focused. Keep it clean, keep it truthful, keep it friendly but FIRM.

What can members of the public do? Stop buying Coke products until our people are back to work. Support the people on the picket line with friendly waves and toot your car horn. Be understanding if you are inconvenienced by their actions.

I’d like to personally thank all of the local businesses that are being supportive of the folks on the picket lines. This is not easy for anyone, but your support (and also some of you have even donated coffee and food!) is priceless. THANK YOU.

To the other Coke location workers in Ontario who Coke will be going after as their contracts come up; thank you for standing shoulder to shoulder with the Brampton folks. They will do the same for you when your time comes. And it will.

From what I understand, Coke negotiators are off enjoying the long weekend, and not at all concerned about what they’ve done in terms of the chaos faced by Coke employees and their spouses and children. Let them. They won’t break you, as long as you stand together.

NOTE: There is a “Share” button below the post that you can share this on Facebook and Twitter and a few other places. Or you can cut and paste the “short” URL: http://wp.me/p3q6xK-1is

See Also:

June 28, 2013: Coca Cola – Strike Action
June 30, 2013: Coca Cola forced strike; More info (you are here)
July 02, 2013: Coca Cola Brampton Lock Out/Strike Continues
July 09, 2013: Coke Lockout Brampton. Still Going
July 19, 2013: Coca Cola Lockout in Brampton: Over