Coke Cancels Health Care for Employees Who Have Paid Their Premiums

Hospitalized Family Members and Employees Can't Fill Critical Prescriptions

SEATTLE, Aug. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has taken action to punish 500 striking workers in Western Washington by cancelling their health care benefits, even though the employees have already paid their share of their premiums through the end of August.

Coke employees, who went on strike on Monday over the Company's refusal to bargain in good faith, reported the loss of their benefits after they had tried to fill prescriptions at local pharmacies and hospitals. One employee, who said he preferred not to be identified for fear of retaliation from the Company, said he faced an $8,000 medical bill for a prescription to treat a chronic, life-threatening illness.

"This further demonstrates Coke's ruthless business model that puts corporate profits over the health and well-being of its own hardworking employees," said Tracey A. Thompson, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117 and the lead negotiator for Washington Teamsters United.

Striking Coke employees said they expected to have health care coverage at least through the end of August since the Company had already deducted the employees' share of the premium for their medical plan.

Negotiations between Coke and Washington Teamsters United have been underway since April, but the company refused to bargain with the Union for over 10 weeks, and then began an aggressive campaign of unfair labor practices.  The Union has filed charges against Coke for bad faith bargaining over the Company's insistence on eliminating health care for retirees, reducing its employees' health care benefit, and increasing the share of their employees' health care premiums by 800 percent.  

Pepsi and Safeway Beverage, the other large beverage companies in the area, negotiated contracts with the Teamsters this year that did not include huge health care premium increases or the elimination of retiree medical benefits.

In 2009, the Coca-Cola Company's revenues were over $30 billion. The Coca-Cola Co. employs 92,800 worldwide. CCE's revenues were over $21 billion. CCE employs 70,000 worldwide. Washington Teamsters United, which includes Teamsters Local Unions 38, 117, 174, 252, 313, and 589, represents approximately 500 Coke employees at six Western Washington area locations, in Bellevue, Marysville, Fife, Tacoma, Aberdeen and Bremerton.

SOURCE Washington Teamsters United