Not surprising; the Coca Cola negotiation team all spent the long weekend with their own families while our families were fragmented as workers manned the picket lines. That’s ok though! They were where they needed to be.
You see, we’re not doing this so we can get rich, live in multi-million dollar homes, and enjoy every luxury that strikes our fancy.
.
We are picketing because:a) Coca Cola walked away from negotiations and locked workers out, and
b) we have no choice. We need the plant operations to be done safely. We need to be able to pay the mortgages on our very-middle-class homes, most of which are located in the GTA (necessary), put our kids in soccer, pay for glasses and put braces on their teeth when the needs arise. We need just a little assurance that jobs will actually be there tomorrow, and we have some sort of future.
My husband likes his job. He comes home tired after putting in a full day, and does it again the next day – without complaint. He enjoys talking to customers. They’re good people, our customers. I say “Our” because I feel like I’m a part of Coke too. Not because we get free product; we don’t. I feel that way because my husband takes his work seriously, and feels good about the way he provides his services not only to the company, but to the customers. He is recognized when we’re out in public, and it’s always in a positive way. In fact he was recognized most recently when the manager of a Tim Horton’s we stopped at remembered him from when he was a manager at a Mac’s store. He came over and shook his hand, and was introduced to us (our youngest daughter and I). “Good man you’ve got there, Missus!” he said to me.
Don’t I know it.
My husband doesn’t want this lock out. He would much rather be working. His friends and coworkers in the company don’t want this lock out. They want to be able to work too. I haven’t met a single unionized employee who feels otherwise. Nor do I hear stories about guys who feel that it’s a “gravy train” and want to get paid well and do next to nothing. These men WORK for their money. Believe me; I’d hear ALL about it if there were slackers making the rest of the guys work that much harder.
From the looks of it, Coca Cola is going to play hard ball with this negotiation, because it will most definitely affect all other negotiations in Canada. They no doubt want to break this group of workers and make them accept their terms. In essence, they’re apparently taking an “Our way or the highway” stance.
Perish the thought that Canadian workers take even the smallest crumb from a $9BILLION profit margin.
So our people aren’t just fighting for themselves here. They’re fighting for Coca Cola workers across the country. Because they WILL be coming after the rest of them as their contacts come up for negotiations. This is why workers at the other locations have been standing shoulder to shoulder with our people. This is why Coca Cola CUSTOMERS are supporting our efforts here. Customers know that if Coke is able to outsource to “who knows what other cheap, untrained companies”, their quality of service could decline in a big way, and that will affect THEIR customers. This is why we need the public to share information with friends, family, and coworkers. This is why we need fair news coverage, and not reporters who simply parrot what Coke tells them and don’t seek the truth. Look for the SHARE button below. Please use it!
Here’s a screenshot, where I have underlined in red (appropriate, yes?) the lies told by Coca Cola. Seven (7) in just a little over a paragraph. Please click on the image to get a larger view.
Coca Cola is now trying to get a legal injunction against workers walking the picket lines, fighting for their futures, by having the peaceful delaying of traffic in and out of other coke plants and warehouses declared illegal. I sincerely hope that the Canadian Judge hearing this nonsense from Coca Cola takes the 700 employees currently affected, plus the thousands of other employees who will be affected, into account, sees this American company trying to screw over Canadian workers, and denies their request.
Naturally my blog is my blog, and a lot of this is my opinion. But know this; I will never print anything here that is untrue. I will print my opinion, which needs to be taken as just that: Opinion. However, unlike Coca Cola, I will never print a bald-faced lie and expect the public to buy it. (The links now download as PDF files). The public, contrary to Coca Cola’s apparent belief, is smarter than that. Past that; *I* have a moral and ethical code to live by that doesn’t allow me to sit here and lie to people.
Please, continue to support the efforts of our workers. THANK YOU. #cokestrike
See also:
See Also:
June 28, 2013: Coca Cola – Strike Action
June 30, 2013: Coca Cola forced strike; More info
July 02, 2013: Coca Cola Brampton Lock Out/Strike Continues (You are here)
July 09, 2013: Coke Lockout Brampton. Still Going
July 19, 2013: Coca Cola Lockout in Brampton: Over
I want to thank you for your blog.My husband also works for coke and I decided to drive up to support all that have been locked out.Everyone looked so sad they surely miss their jobs and customers.How sad its come to this from the very young to some close to retiring.I worked as a rep for SEIU and have seen cuts and layoffs in hospitals its all business nothing for the front line workers. Some of us hospital workers are without a contract since 2009 and we cannot strike.If this continues we will be screwed unions are being stepped on like ants and unions are being pushed out if this continues.We must support each other.
Sylvia; Thank you. You’re right on all counts.
United we must stand .
Hi Jenn. I would like to know if you would mind if I share or add you on my facebook account?
My husband works for Coca-Cola and is walking the picket lines as well since Wednesday night.
I would like my facebook friends to know how Coca Cola works and how a billion dollar company wants more money to line the CEO’s pockets.
Let me know,
Hi Kim,
Thanks – the Facebook link is https://www.facebook.com/YouKnowThatBlog. Much appreciated.
Thank you. I just liked the page. :)
Way to go Jenn….couldnt agree with you more!!!! My husband has been there for 35 years and I know how hard he works as well as all the other employees there……Everyone please keep sharing these posts as well as any others…..Lets all be heard!!
Coke Employees Strong, support our spouses, maybe even through this blog
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=373525289437510&set=vb.347779098678796&type=2&theater
here is a video that was removed from a news site – found it via twitter and although it is very choppy, the audio is still good
Hi I’m a Pepsi driver and just to let you know we at Pepsi have our brothers back in this. I have started asking all my friends on FB to boycott coke, and for them and their friends to pass it on. With 700 coke employees they should do the same. This will cripple coke. Wipe out coke in Ontario. Americans dont know who they are screwing with. Feel free to use this message anyway you like. Good luck!
Haha, Paul! Well, thanks for the support, anyway! It won’t cripple Coke. They’re not going anywhere – and we’re happy about that! Just want them to play fair.
They dont know how to play fair. They don’t care about employees. If they did they would listen to them. Coke is out to break the union and the other satellite whses around Ontario and the other plants in Canada need to help Brampton win this or they are next.
Help support the employees at Brampton by emailing the Coca-Cola Canada President Nicola Kettlitz, letting him know that he needs to negotiate a fair deal with them TODAY so that everyone can get back to work.
nkettlitz@coca-cola.com
Thanks for the email address, Denise!
Not only this affect Coke across Canada but Pepsi and Beer guys too. As we all do the same job. What happens there will happen to us. (I work for the other guy) I wish you guys and girls luck!
Thank you! We’ve got support from a lot of different companies and unions. It’s absolutely heartwarming and strengthening to have it, too.
Lets backtrack a little,if you will? Somewhere around $ 10 BILLION in profits last year;A $ 30 million paycheck for the BOSS;
Accusations of contaminating the drinking water in India;
Linked to guerrilla death squads in the murders of pro-union activists in Columbia;
$$$ 192 MILLION to settle an employee lawsuit in the U.S. over its widespread racial discrimination..
I understand a little about how free enterprise and Capitalism works, but Holy Christ..How much is enough???And now, you want to CUT from our pensions and benefits?? You’ve got to be f?@$ing kidding right????
Finally, You want to take our nationally cherished Remembrance Day “Moment of Silence” out of the collective agreement???
You should all be seriously ashamed of yourselves, But, I suppose you already know that…
YIKES!! Do you have links for any of those super scary ones, Len??
They sure do have a perverse way of “Delivering Happiness”, don’t you think??
Well said Len…the public needs to know the “real thing” about Coke!..people can Google coca-cola to read what’s happened in the past with coke employees from around the world…thank God Google hasn’t been muzzled by Coke like our local media appears to have been…shame on you Coke! #cokestrike
Im sure the deeper we dig the more we will find…..
Hi hope you don’t mind I shared your blog post on my Facebook page. My dad has been a coca cola employee all my life and now my brother is also. For a company that has been so good to my family growing up its unbelievable what they are doing with this current strike! We need to draw as much attention as possible!
Mind? I encourage it, love. Thanks for helping to spread the word! Keep it going!
I work in Brampton and live in Durham region . The grocery stores in my area are very low on stock and the mom and pop stores have not seen a delivery for two weeks. They are very frustrated with Coca Cola.
Oh really??? That’s good news. Coke looking bad is perfect actually.
Hi Jenn, I’m loving your blog. This is being seen by people all over the world and its great that the truth is getting out.
I think what has been bothering me the most about this labour dispute is the comments being made by Erica Mozes. It really irks me to keep hearing her say that this work stoppage was totally unnecessary and that we didn’t need to walk off the job and that we are ‘bargaining in bad faith’ by doing so.
The union and its workers were never given the opportunity to work past the contract deadline and to keep working during negotiations. Our afternoon shift was walked out of the facility and told to remove cars off the property by 9pm. The company then proceeded to put up barricades blocking any employee from being on the property. Our midnight shift was told not to report to work, which starts at 10pm…..2 hours prior to our strike deadline.
So this ‘unnecessary work stoppage’ was not created by the union or the workers, but was solely initiated by the company itself.
This is a fact that the public needs to be aware of, this defaming of the union and its workers really goes to show the true colours of who and what this company really is.
They care more about their public image and shareholders than the workers that make the company what it is.
Thanks again for all your hard work with this blog.
Trevor Gravel (Brampton employee)
I am so pleased by the support that has been given. We all need to keep going strong and to support the people we know and love in this. I salute all of those on the line right now. My boyfriend has been working for coke for 29 years.. That is a long time to work for a company who now has no regard for them.. This is a fight worth fighting. I hope they all know we are behind them 100%.
Coke should be ashamed of their slimey tactics.
Here’s something to make you feel all warm and fuzzy in these “tough economic times” for the company..
Muhtar Kent CEO
$30,460,186 in 2012
$29,115,573 in 2011
$24,782,017 in 2010
$18,813,013 in 2009
$22,421,347 in 2008
Ahmet Bozer V.P. $7,343,119 in 2012
Steven Cahillane V.P. $ 6,149,084 in 2012
Alex Cummings V.P. $8,178,662 in 2009, 2010,11.12, n/a
Alex Douglas V.P. $7,100,257 in 2010 2011.12 n/a
Gary Fayard V.P. $8,222,962 in 2012
Irial Finan V.P. $8,951,963 in 2009 2010,11, 12 n/a
Jose Octavio Reyes Vice Chairman $ 9,562,596 in 2012
Neville Isdell Former CEO 2006-2008 $ 87,500,000..
The poor poor bastards..But,Its still not enough..
These 9 “TOP” executives have siphoned between $$$ 250,000,000 and $$$ 500,000,000 from this corporation in the last five years..?TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES?? Erika MOZES??
I had no clue Coca-Cola was on strike, so getting the message out, much like they way it happened with RBC is a good thing.
There are too many manufacturing sector jobs being subcontracted out for less than livable wages.
Get the word out!!!