Union workers’ strike turned into a lockout when workers were denied their jobs back.
Written By Angel Valdez
Edited: CM KT
Photo Credit: Angel Valdez
The more than one year long Bigfoot Beverage strike, was declared a lockout in the spring, as union-supported workers have been permanently replaced, leaving them jobless. The Teamsters union has since filed unfair labor practice charges against the company.
Bigfoot Beverage, a beverage distributor of Pepsi and other products with one location in Eugene proposed switching workers’ pensions to a 401k retirement plan, which would affect workers’ previous savings. This pushed workers to strike Sep. 19, 2024, lasting until late April 2025.
Around 240 workers joined. “That’s what we came here for, the pension,” said Anthony Shipley, 42, an employee of Bigfoot Beverage who had been a part of the strike since it started.
Shipley is now a member of the Teamsters union, officially known as “International Brotherhood of Teamsters.” Teamsters is a labor union that represents 1.3 million members across the U.S. and Canada.
The lockout began as the strike ended, and union workers tried to get their jobs back. The company denied the rehiring, stating “it will continue to follow the law and not displace its current team members”, in a press release April 24.
Teamsters has since filed multiple unfair labor practice charges against Bigfoot in early December 2024. This includes unlawfully threatening workers for engaging in federally protected union activity and attempting to withdraw recognition from the union, according to Teamsters press release Dec, 2 2024.
“We are hurting in the long run, with losing money, but these guys got deep pocket books; it don’t matter to them” Shipley said.
Union workers continue to put up a fight; holding signs, and picketing outside Bigfoot Beverages. Shipley said, “We’re out here fighting it, until they tell us they don’t want to pay us anymore, we’re letting Pepsi know they made a mistake.”
