Teamsters rally for a fair contract at Elysian Brewery on Saturday.

Teamsters and their community supporters rallied to demand a fair contract for workers at Elysian Brewery on Saturday. Workers at the Georgetown craft brewery organized with Local 117 over a year ago, and the company has been dragging its feet in contract negotiations.

“Elysian hasn’t been a locally owned mom-and-pop operation for quite some time,” said Paul Dascher, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters 117. “This is a subsidiary of Anheuser Busch known as AB InBev internationally, the largest brewer on the planet. Elysian can’t act like a community partner at Seattle events but then act like a corporate raider behind the scenes. They need to give their workers what they’re asking for.”

Local 117 ST Paul Dascher spoke powerfully in support of the workers.

Teamsters 117 members at Elysian Brewing have been in bargaining for over a year because the company has been union busting, stalling, and refusing to bargain in good faith. The company has even retained the notorious union-busting firm Jackson Lewis to drag out the process.

“We work hard, but we aren’t appreciated by the company we work for,” said Shannon Mullins, a Quality Lead at Elysian and member of the bargaining committee. “AB InBev uses us for street cred in the brewing industry. They sell our beer as if it’s their own, but they don’t support Elysian workers the way they support brewers at the large legacy brands.”

Shannon Mullins (c) called for a contract that respects workers and their families.

Supporters from a dozen local unions joined together with the workers, including members of the striking Machinists Union. President of Teamsters Local 162, Mark Davison, traveled from Portland to speak at the event. Davison's Local represents Widmer Brothers Brewery, one of the only other craft breweries in the country that is organized with Teamsters.

"At Widmer, workers have a pathway to a career," he said. "It's no longer just a job, it's a union job so you can be proud to have good wages, retirement security, and health care to take care of your family. Workers at Elysian deserve the same."

Pete Lamb, Western Region International Field Representative for the IBT's Brewery & Soft Drink Division and President of Teamsters Local 38 in Everett, said Teamsters in the brewery industry across the country are standing in solidarity. "I cannot be more proud of every single Elysian worker that had the courage to unionize. All of us are here to support you," he said.

The Teamsters represent thousands of AB InBev workers at breweries for Budweiser, Michelob, Busch, and other larger, well-known brands. Union members there enjoy regular pay raises, employer-sponsored healthcare and retirement plans, protection from unjust termination, and other benefits that microbrewery workers at Elysian are fighting for.

“We’ll have representation so we can protect our rights as workers,” said Kevin Lindsay, Jr., a Packaging Lead at Elysian. “If we don’t agree with something, we’ll have a voice to express that. We still work here, we still love the company, but we want our voice to be heard.”

Photos from the rally here