Police are investigating an alleged assault as Teamsters strike over one of the nation’s most underfunded pension plans.
Police in Ohio are investigating an alleged assault that took place last month during a Teamster strike that has been going on since September 1st.
While the strike at Maple City Ice Co., “a family-owned and operated wholesaler of Anheuser-Busch and InBev beers headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio,” has been going on, the Company has been using replacement drivers to deliver to its customers.
At issue is the Company’s desire to exit the Teamsters’ severely-underfunded Central States Pension Plan–a plan which, according to its own trustee is losing $2 billion per year and “headed for financial failure.”
The alleged clash that occurred in late September happened, according to the Norwalk Reflector, when the striking Teamsters local brought a fellow Teamster from out of town to the picket lines.
A company statement released to the press provided some details of the incident:
“On Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017, a number of Maple City Ice striking employees, along with the Teamster agent and another Teamster he brought from out of town, began verbally harassing and threatening independent truck drivers who were delivering loads of beer from the brewery.
“Later that day, the Teamster harasser from out of town crossed onto company property and began threatening an independent truck driver from the brewery, telling him he would ‘flatten his tires’ and ‘take care of him for crossing over an active picket line,’” according to the company.
“Apparently, the independent truck driver believed he was going to be physically assaulted by the out-of-town Teamster and when the Teamster charged at him, he struck him in self-defense. An employee of the Maple City Ice Co. witnessed the event. The Huron County Sheriff’s Office took statements from the parties and witnesses, after which the independent truck driver was permitted to go on his way. The company has not heard anything further from the Sheriff’s Office regarding the matter.” [Emphasis added.]
OH #Teamsters Local 20 drivers at @Budweiser distributor Maple City Ice have been on #strike for >20 days for fair contract, to save pension pic.twitter.com/aQRGl9NEDb
— Teamsters (@Teamsters) September 21, 2017
While there is currently no end in sight for the striking Teamsters in Ohio, a similar Teamster strike over wages and pensions in New York lasted 82 days before the parties reached an agreement.
