Labour group urges boycott of Labatt imports in support of striking workers

OTTAWA—A national labour group is endorsing a Canada-wide consumer boycott against a slew of Labbatt Brewing Co. brands in an act of solidarity with striking workers in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) has endorsed the boycott against a number of imported Labbatt brands and is calling on the company to return to the bargaining table.

“This is a David and Goliath struggle between about 50 local workers and the world’s largest multi-national brewing corporation trying to force its employees into a race to the bottom,” CLC president Ken Georgetti said in a statement.

“Canadian workers and their unions are not going to stand idly by and allow this to happen.”

The striking employees in St. John’s have been off the job since April 10.

“This multi-national company is trying … to impose concessions and roll-backs on its employees which would establish a precedent for its other unionized workers across the globe,” Georgetti claimed.

The national consumer boycott was requested by the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), which represents the striking workers from the beer maker’s brewery in the Newfoundland and Labrador capital.

The Labatt imports being targeted for boycott include Stella Artois, Becks and Lowenbrau.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, people are also being urged to boycott a number of other Labatt beers, including Budweiser, Labatt Blue, Alexander Keith’s and Kokanee.

Labbatt is the Canadian division of the Anheuser-Busch InBev brewing company, which had revenues of US$39.8-billion in 2012.

It has been a member of the InBev family since 1995.