Anchor Brewing Company Toasts ILWU Union Contract
Anchor Management, Workers Celebrate Signing of First Contract at One of the Most Iconic Breweries in the United States
The Progressive Contract Provides Wage Increases and New Benefits for Both Full and Part-Time Employees
Members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 6, have approved the first union contract in the history of 123-year-old Anchor Brewing Company, widely considered to be the leader of the American craft beer revolution.
Today, 62 workers at Anchor Brewing Company, which produces San Francisco’s world-famous Steam Beer, and includes Anchor Public Taps, the company’s brew pub, voted to ratify a three-year contract negotiated jointly with Anchor Brewing, owned by Sapporo Holdings, makers of Japan’s oldest beer brand.
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“This is an important chapter in the history of the ILWU and in the history of one of the most storied and beloved beers in America,” said ILWU International Vice President Bobby Olvera Jr. “We believe that being a union-made beer is a selling point for Anchor. When people drink Anchor, they’ll be supporting fair wages and benefits for the workers who make and serve this outstanding and unique product.”
“We look forward to a strong future together with the newly formed union,” said Scott Ungermann, Brewmaster for Anchor Brewing Company. “Anchor has a storied history and enduring commitment to making great beers and valuing the people who brew them.”
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Key components of the Anchor union contract include:
- Substantial compensation increases for employees over the next 3 years. (Increase amounts vary based on seniority and position, but in the first year of the contract, on average, workers represented by ILWU Local 6 will receive an approximate 8% increase in wages and benefits).
- Time and a half pay for all employees who work on a company recognized holiday.
- Maintenance of quality health insurance, with Anchor paying 85% of the premium for employees and 50% for dependents.
- Enhanced 401(k) with additional employer contributions tied to brewery production to promote shared interest.
- Paid 1/2 hour lunch periods instead of unpaid lunch breaks, which are the industry norm.
- Paid Time Off now extended to part-time workers, formerly only full timers qualified.
- Pay for a portion of any sick time that employees accrue beyond their cap on hours for both full- and part-time employees
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