Teamsters, foreign unions meet as InBev takeover looms

[Earth Bound Misfit]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/business/stories.nsf/manufacturingtechnology/story/366CF632281C0061862574A7000B3FEF?OpenDocument

In advance of negotiations set to begin Monday between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Anheuser-Busch Cos., as well as the pending sale of the company to InBev NV, labor leaders gathered Friday in St. Louis to plan their next moves.

They also were in town to prepare for a rally this afternoon aimed at bolstering community support for the workers and at pressuring the company to continue its charitable and other work in the community.

Jack Cipriani, a vice president of the Teamsters union and director of its brewery and soft drink division, was among those participating in the lengthy meetings on Friday. They drew some 40 labor leaders who have dealt with InBev, including union officials from Brazil, Canada and Belgium, as well as Teamsters from around the United States.

The Teamsters represent 8,000 A-B workers in St. Louis and 11 other U.S. plants. Union leaders from all 12 plants were at Friday's meetings. The contract expires on Feb. 28.

Friday's sessions were the first step toward forming a partnership so the unions can not only share information but also help forge strategies to protect their members, Cipriani said.

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Anheuser-Busch Vice President Gary Rutledge and Cipriani said in a joint statement that they were starting negotiations early in hope of reaching "agreement before contract expiration … to receive pay increases early and to provide employees the certainty of a new labor agreement for the next several years."

Both said they expect the negotiations "to be professional and productive."

The rally today is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at Kiener Plaza.