Tensions have brewed within the International Brotherhood of Teamsters as local union leaders at the Fort Worth Miller Coors Brewery were reportedly excluded from critical labor negotiations. Sources say that the chapter, known as Local 997, faced a shutout amid discussions between the overall union and Molson Coors.
According to the Fort Worth Report, a letter sent to Local 997 members dated May 15 revealed that they could pitch in on whether an emergency trusteeship, that was slapped on the chapter since April 28 should persist. This letter, bearing the signature of IBT General President Sean M. O'Brien, was part of the evidence of the local leadership's absence from the bargaining table.
The strike at the brewery came to a halt with an IBT announcement on May 22, regarding a new agreement. Yet, shortly after on May 24, official recognition of the settlement disappeared from the internet – the press release was retracted from the union's website, and related social media posts vanished as well. However, with or without public acknowledgment, Molson Coors workers in Fort Worth have ceased striking.
"During the course of the local's dispute with the company, the International became aware of significant representational concerns and financial improprieties, and therefore initiated emergency trusteeship — to take needed action to restore proper representation," Kara Deniz, Assistant Director of the IBT’s Strategic Initiatives Department, said, per The Dallas Express. The nature of the new contract which allegedly includes wage increases and better benefits remains largely under wraps.
Experts note that trusteeships like the one imposed on Local 997 are infrequent yet serious moves. Mark Clayton Hand, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Arlington, stated, as per the Fort Worth Report, “The national organizations are going to be really reluctant to impose trusteeship because each time they do they are overriding democratically determined leadership of that local chapter.” So, while these actions are not common, they send a strong message regarding the national body's stance on local governance.
The situation remains dynamic, and a petition launched by Local 997 member Ben Guentner on Change.org, which calls for the reinstatement of the local board, has gathered 193 signatures. As developments unfold, the story is expected to be updated with new details as they emerge.
