Teamsters: Desperate To Prevent Employees From Exercising Free Speech, American Bottling Resorts To Harassment

CHICAGO, June 18, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Bottling Company, a subsidiary of Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (NYSE: DPS) which is set to merge with Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. in July, has crossed a line no one should ever cross.

Last week, a Dr Pepper manager singled out one of the union's female business agents and allegedly threatened sexual assault against her, her mother and her sister. According to the agent, a Dr Pepper employee and manager said, "I'm going to f*** you, f*** your mother and f*** your sister." When these unconscionable threats and sexually explicit comments were promptly brought to the company's attention, Dr Pepper responded not with the immediate launching of an investigation, but by claiming the union was lying. 

In light of the recent #MeToo movement, it is shocking that a long-time employee in a leadership position for this Fortune 500 company would allegedly make comments that threaten rape. For any man to target any woman in this way is inexcusable and for the company to do nothing is deplorable.

"Dr Pepper should be ashamed of themselves," said John Coli Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 727. "To refuse to investigate a person who made such disgusting remarks is unacceptable."

"Yesterday's inaction is characteristic of the unlawful and amoral behavior we've seen from Dr Pepper management over the past several months," added Coli. "The union is considering further legal action."

The alleged harassment continued into the middle of the night as a Dr Pepper representative made nearly 40 calls in a span of just three hours to a union representative she was fully aware was not on the strike line at that time.

"This behavior," said Coli, "is the purest form of harassment and will not be tolerated."

To date, Dr Pepper has lied to, sought to intimidate, and threatened their employees for exercising their constitutionally protected First Amendment rights by participating in an unfair labor practice strike.

Secretary-Treasurer Coli wrote and mailed letters last Friday to top Keurig Green Mountain executives as well as several celebrities who endorse Dr Pepper products, including Justin Timberlake, Justin Guarini, Pitbull, Fergie, Maroon 5, the Black Eyed Peas, Macklemore and the Dr Pepper sponsored E-Sports team Team SoloMid, as well as Dr Pepper corporate partners ESPN, MLB and the Oakland A's to inform them of the company's behavior and its leader's sexually explicit remarks.

Teamsters Local 727 represents nearly 10,000 hardworking men and women throughout the Chicago area.

PRESS AVAILABILITY at Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, 401 N. Railroad Ave. in Northlake.

Contact:
Caleen Carter-Patton
(847) 696-7500

SOURCE Teamsters Local 727