Teamsters Local 947 union members picket outside of a Breakthru Beverage facility in Jacksonville, FL on June 11. (Teamsters photo)

About 700 union employees across Breakthru Beverage’s distribution operations in Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and Pennsylvania have honored picket lines at their facilities to support a strike at Teamsters Local 79 in Florida.

A release from Teamsters Local 79 said over 160 drivers at Breakthru Beverage locations in Florida went on strike after the company allegedly fired workers involved in union activity and did not engage in contract negotiations, and claims that the strike has reportedly disrupted liquor distribution in Florida for the past two weeks.

Through the picket line extension, the union warned that restaurants and liquor stores in other parts of the country may also experience delivery delays. However, in a statement from a Breakthru Beverage Group, a spokesperson said the company has activated contingency plans to ensure continued service and minimal disruption to its business.

“At the highest level of our organization, we are committed to doing the right thing for our associates while ensuring a strong and sustainable business,” the statement provided to MDM said. “Our focus remains to deliver uninterrupted service to our customers and support our associates in all our markets, while we move towards an amicable resolution in Florida.”

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Teamsters detailed that Breakthru’s most recent contract offer included annual pay reductions ranging from $15,000 to $30,000 per worker and no changes to benefits. The Union added that Florida-based Teamsters have been requesting compensation and benefits in line with what workers at other Breakthru locations receive.

Teamsters went on to say that Breakthru has responded to the strike by hiring replacement workers and consulting with firms that specialize in managing labor disputes.

“Breakthru Beverage has chosen to learn its lesson the hard way, and that’s a mistake that corporate management must own,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a June 17 release. “Breakthru has broken the law. They are disrespecting the workforce at every turn. But the Teamsters are here to hold them accountable. With solidarity at our backs, we will continue to extend picket lines where we can until Breakthru finally chooses to do right by working people.”

A statement from a Breakthru Beverage Group spokesperson said: “It is unfortunate that the North Florida drivers, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, have brought a dispute from Florida to other Breakthru markets through a picket line extension. The strike itself remains limited to North Florida; any claims that other Breakthru locations are striking are inaccurate.”

[Editor’s Note: This article, headline and deck was corrected June 27 at 3:33 p.m. ET to clarify that a strike was not extended to, only support by, additional Breakthru locations. And updated again at 4:20 p.m. to include comment from Breakthru Beverage.]