As beer strike continues, community stands behind workers

BECKLEY — Kroger shelves remained stocked Tuesday as residents argued the beer strike’s human costs mattered more than full coolers.

As the strike moved into its 10th week, nearly 50 drivers, warehouse workers and other employees of The Beverage Market remained off the job following a May 12 walkout. Teamsters Local 175 leaders say negotiations stalled over more than 100 proposed contract changes, including health insurance premium increases, possible changes to spouse coverage and reductions to retirement benefits.

The Beverage Market, owned by Theresa and Martin Johnson of Hazard, Kentucky, distributes beer to more than 1,900 customers statewide.

Managers and outside workers have continued deliveries, leaving Kroger shelves in Beckley stocked with Miller, Coors and other products despite the walkout.

Union representatives say the company initially proposed raising employee health insurance premiums by roughly 900%. They say the latest proposal still exceeds 600%, while the union has narrowed its unresolved concerns to five or six issues.

Donnie Perdue, vice president of Teamsters Local 175, said the parties planned to meet with a mediator by Zoom on Thursday.

Union President Steve Day said company attorneys had offered little movement.

“It feels like the union is the only one making any movement at this point,” Day said.

The company did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. In an earlier statement, it said it remained committed to negotiating in good faith and finding a fair, sustainable resolution.

Meanwhile, Raleigh County residents weighed in with their views of the ongoing strike with many in support of the union and its members.

Newlyweds Brenda Cook Mills and Ron Mills connected the strike to broader cost-of-living pressures. Cook Mills called the proposed insurance increase unfair and compared it to gas prices that rise sharply but fall only “a few pennies at a time.”

Ron Mills, who said he previously owned coal mines, said he was not anti-union. He argued that workers and smaller operators often cannot keep pace with inflation or the power of large businesses.

Around the block, Michael Gosnell said he stopped drinking about 20 years ago and had not noticed changes in beer selection — though he still supported the employees.

“Them baseball players went on strike the whole year, didn’t they?” Gosnell said. “Football team did too!”

Beckley resident Frank Bailey had noticed reduced Coors availability. A self-described “Coors man,” he said the inconvenience did not outweigh his support.

“Overall, you can sort of tell,” Bailey said. “But as long as they’re doing it for that reason, I won’t complain about it.”

Bailey said workers were trying to support their families.

“Don’t give up.” Bailey said. “And they’re in my thoughts and prayers, and I hope it works out for them.”

Felicia Redden also emphasized the time employees invest in a workplace, including retirement benefits and relationships with colleagues.

“You put time into that place, and you hope that your company would back you up, not make it harder on you,” Redden said.

She said older employees with years of service cannot easily abandon what they have built and start over elsewhere. Addressing the strikers, she urged them to continue standing up for themselves, their families and their coworkers.

Kristy and Steven Teel, a married couple, said the dispute reflected the pressure facing working families.

“You can barely eat. You can barely pay your rent. You can barely keep your lights on,” Kristy Teel said.

She said she would stand beside the picketers if she could afford to and offered a direct appeal to company decision-makers: “Give the people a break.”

Steven Teel said the employees deserved compensation that reflected their labor.

“Pay them what they work for,” he said. “They’re hard workers.”

Doug Evans said the central question was how much the proposed insurance increase would reduce workers’ take-home pay and whether it would push their households into financial crisis.

“People deserve good healthcare,” Evans said. “I think that that’s a statement on that employer and what they think about their employees.”

All 49 employees remained on strike Tuesday, according to union leaders, and none had crossed the picket line. The scheduled mediation offered the next opportunity for movement as the dispute approached 10 full weeks.

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