On May 23, over 300 full time manufacturing workers at the Mott’s plant in Williamson, New York, were forced to strike after company executives demanded painful wage cuts while the company enjoyed a record year of $555 million in profits.

Visit this page regularly for the latest news on the workers' fight for a fair contract.

Click here to send a letter to Dr. Pepper Snapple CEO Larry Young letting him know you think his company's attempts to slash the Mott's workers benefits and pay are unacceptable.

Mott’s Workers Take Picket Line to National Fruit in Virginia (7/14/10)

Members of RWDSU Local 220 on strike for nearly 8 weeks against Mott’s are taking their picket line to the National Fruit manufacturing plant in Winchester, Virginia, to protest Mott’s outsourcing and co-packing of applesauce due to slowed production in the Mott’s Williamson, New York, plant.  Strikers and union members will be leafleting National Fruit production workers about the ongoing labor dispute at Mott's.

Click to Watch New Video: Mott's Workers Fight Back (7/9/10)

Apple Industry Urges Resolution to Mott's Strike (7/8/10)

UFCW President Hansen Pledges Support of 1.4 Million Members (7/8/10)

Read the New Mott's Newsletter (7/2/10) 

New York Building and Construction Trades Supports RWDSU Mott's Strikers (6/29/10)

Striking Mott's workers have the strength of the 220,000 member New York State Building and Construction Trades Council behind them, according to a pair of letters from NYBCTC President Edward J. Malloy.

In a letter to RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum, Malloy states that the NYS Building Trades is "proud to stand with the RWDSU in this fight for fairness."

In his letter to Dr Pepper Snapple CEO Larry Young, Malloy scolds the executive for attempting to "rake in the profits at the expense of labor."

"During these harsh economic times, a highly profitable company like Dr Pepper Snapple should be doing all it can to support and empower its workforce rather than undermine it by making unnecessary demands at the bargaining table," Malloy added, while pointing out that the NYS Building Trades will do all it can to support Mott's workers.

Read the letter to the RWDSU

Read the letter to Larry Young

Cuomo Calls Upon Mott's to Bargain in Good Faith (6/28/10)

Mott's Workers Rally for Fair Contract (6/26/10)

On Saturday, June 26, thousands of activists converged upon Williamson, New York, to rally in support of RWDSU Local 220 members as they continue their strike against corporate greed at Mott's. Mott's workers were joined by members and representatives from a number of unions, and elected officials who are concerned about the actions of Mott's and Dr Pepper Snapple in attempting to roll back wages and benefits at the Mott's plant.

“Thank you so much for coming out today to support us. We truly appreciate your help in our fight against the corporate giant Dr Pepper Snapple, owner of Mott’s,” said Local 220 President and striking Mott’s worker Mike LeBerth (above). “Many of us have worked for Mott’s for more than 20 years and we used to be like family here, but even since Dr Pepper Snapple Group took over its been about one thing and one thing only: corporate greed! Our employer is tough, but if we stand together we can beat this giant greedy corporation and prove that New Yorkers deserve good jobs!,” LeBerth added.

"That’s not fair, that's not right. That's not American," said Congressman Dan Maffei (above) of the way Mott’s is treating its workers. "You are fighting for the ordinary American that goes to work everyday, works hard and deserves a fair wage for it."

for much more on this story, go here

New Motts Newsletter Out Today (6/25/10)

Keep up with all the latest news in the Motts Strike in Williamson, New York.

Download the newsletter here

Senator Schumer to Motts: Come Back to the Table and Negotiate (6/23/10)

Trumka Reaches Out to Solis, Obama Administration in Mott's Dispute (6/21/10)

AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka has written a letter to United States Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, urging the Obama Administration to get involved in the strike by RWDSU Local 220 members against Mott's in Williamson, New York.

In the letter, Trumka urges Solis to "call upon corporate America to do its part in helping America's workforce through tough economic times," and to ask Motts owner Dr. Pepper Snapple "to reach a fair settlement with its workers at Motts" instead of trying to squeeze workers at a time when the corporate giant is enjoying record profits.

 Read Trumka's letter here

Rochester Mayor Duffy Visits Picket Line (6/16/10) 

Lieutenant governor candidate and Rochester Mayor Robert Duff (below, right)  joined picketers today outside the Mott’s plant in Williamson, New York. Duffy called Mott's "a great company because of their workforce" and called for a resumption of contract talks.

Click here to read:  In Battle with Dr Pepper, Workers Take on Poster Child for Corporate Greed (6/16/10)

Strikers Head to Albany to Brief Legislators on the Situation at Mott’s (6/15/10)

Local 220 members Adam Morley, David Bruni, Bud Bristol, and Ken Bloss hit the capital in Albany to talk to legislators about the struggle with Mott’s.   The strikers met with Sen. Diane Savino, Staten Island (who used to be a union officer herself);  Sen. George Onorato, Chair of the NY Senate Labor Committee and Asst. Majority Leader;  Staff of Assembly Member David Gantt from the Rochester area;  Assembly Member Peter Abbate-member of the Assembly Labor Committee; Assembly Member Ron Canestrari, Assembly Majority Leader ; Assembly Member Joe Morelle, who is also the  Monroe County chair; staff of Senator Joe Robach. 

Congressman Maffei Meets With Mott's Workers (6/15/10)

US Representative for New York's 25th District, Democrat Dan Maffei (center), met with striking Mott's workers to show his support. Maffei is part of a growing group of elected officials who have taken an interest in the situation in Williamson, New York.

Maffei is pictured here with Mott's workers Mike Bailey (right) and John Walsh.
 

Top Canadian Officials Question Safety of Mott's Products in Wake of Strike (6/14/10)

Canadian MPs Jack Layton and Malcolm Allen have written letters to Dr. Pepper Snapple CEO Larry Young and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency respectively, expressing concern about Dr. Pepper Snapple's attempts to slash pay and benefits for Mott's workers, and even questioning the safety of Mott's products now that replacement workers are producing them in Williamson, New York.  Read more here.

Mott’s Workers Hit the Road to Leaflet, Picket Dr. Pepper Snapple (6/11/10)

Mott's Strikers picketed in front of the Aspers, Pennsylvania Dr. Pepper Snapple plant. 

Members of RWDSU Local 220 on strike against Mott’s took their picket line and leafleting campaign on the road this week to spread the word about the workers’ fight beyond New York, and to increase the pressure on executives to rescind drastic wage and benefit cuts imposed at their Williamson Plant. In Aspers, Pennsylvania, Mott’s strikers set up new picket lines in front of the Dr. Pepper Snapple plant, and in St. Louis, Missouri, a group of Local 220 members set up shop to leaflet in front of a Dr. Pepper Snapple plant.

The Aspers, PA plant is a high volume manufacturing facility while the St Louis plant is the sole maker of carbonated beverage concentrate for the entire Dr Pepper Snapple Group System.

It’s all part of a continuing effort by Mott’s workers to let people around the country know what is happening in Williamson, New York. Last week Mott’s workers were also in Galveston, Texas, shadowing Mott’s representatives who were distributing free samples at a beach event, and letting consumers know about the company’s efforts to squeeze workers despite huge profits.

Leafletting in St. Louis.

RWDSU Local 220 strikers were joined by UFCW Local 655 members in St. Louis. 

Handing out information on the picket line in Aspers.

Senator Gillibrand Meets With Mott's Strikers (6/10/10)

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who has sent Dr. Pepper Snapple a letter calling for them to bargain in good faith with Local 220 workers, met with striking Mott's workers to discuss the situation and lend her support.

(left to right) Mott's workersTodd Davis, Tim Budd, Senator Gillibrand, Mike LeBerth, and RWDSU Representative Ron Duncan.

Mott's Workers Leaflet Dr. Pepper Snapple in PA (click to watch video - 6/10/10)

From Buffalo to Galveston, Mott’s Workers Fight Back (6/7/10)

RWDSU activists spread the word about Mott's Dr. Pepper Snapple's attacks on the Williamson, New York, workers. 

At separate events far north in Buffalo, New York, and down south in Galveston, Texas, Striking Mott’s workers are taking the fight to the company and its owner, Dr Pepper Snapple. The Williamson, New York, workers and RWDSU Local 220 members have been on strike since May 23. Company executives are demanding painful wage cuts despite enjoying a record year of $555 million in profits.

In Galveston, Texas, it was the start of the Mott’s Magical Taste Tour, where Mott’s representatives are handing out samples of many products, including single-serve applesauce products, which happen to be made by the striking Local 220 members in New York. When Mott’s decided to visit a sandcastle competition being held in Galveston, they were counting on the sun, the beach, and fun of the competition as a nice place to spread the word about their products. They weren’t counting on some unexpected guests: workers from the Mott’s plant in Williamson who came to spread the word about the rotten anti-worker tactics of Dr. Pepper Snapple.

Mott's worker Ryan Bubacz (above) spent his weekend keeping Mott's representatives company at the beach and educating consumers about Local 220's strike.

“We followed the people around who were giving out samples of the products that I made in the factory, and handing out flyers letting people on the beach know about what is going on and how they are trying to use the recession as an excuse to attack us, despite their big profits,” said Ryan Bubacz, who has worked at Mott’s for four years.

“Right after people got their samples, I’d let them know about the corporate greed behind these products. Most people were really shocked and receptive to our message, with many saying they’d avoid Snapple and Mott’s products until this was worked out,” Bubacz said.

“I think it’s really important that people understand what is going on with our jobs, and how this kind of corporate greed, if we don’t stop it, will  ruin the country. When we tell them about this, people realize that it could be their jobs that somebody comes after next, and that just because your employer is profitable doesn’t mean they won’t come after you to make more money for themselves,” Bubacz added.

The Mott’s Magical Taste Tour will be visiting cities across the U.S., including San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Charlotte, Tampa, and Boston.

“I hear it’s really nice in San Francisco and Chicago this time of year, and I’m really looking forward to helping to spread the message about Mott’s wherever they are. It’s a good product, but there’s nothing good about what they are trying to do to us, and people need to know about it,” Bubacz said.

 Mott’s Workers Take the Floor at WFP Convention in Buffalo

The message was the same at the Working Families Party convention in Buffalo, New York this past weekend. Mott’s workers Shelly Snyder, Kent Knox, Randy Selly, and Linda Van De Viver were on hand to put a human face on the theme of the day: corporate greed, the assault on workers’ rights, and the widening wage gap between the rich and the middle class in North America. The attendees, who included elected officials, community groups, union members, activists, and other players in the New York political arena, heard all about the Mott’s assault on the workers in Williamson.

Mott’s worker Kent Knox told the convention about how the workers ended up on strike and on the picket lines.

“We entered negotiations in the spring with high hopes.  Mott's/Dr. Pepper Snapple has never been more profitable.  Last year they made a $555 million profit.  This is exactly the kind of company that does well in a recession, and so we assumed that we would do well, too,” Knox said.

“The company had other ideas, demanding wage cuts of $1.50 per hour, an elimination of the pension plan, changes to the health care benefits, and other things we couldn’t accept. We never were given a fair chance at bargaining a contract, they never respected the process, saying instead that we were commodities like corn and oil and that since unemployment was so high they should get to pay less for us,” Knox added.

“We had no choice, and were forced to strike.”

According to Mott’s worker Shelly Snyder, “we aren’t people to the company. To Mott’s, I’m just a dot on a graph.”

Mott's and Dr. Pepper Snapple sell products all across the country, and Mott's workers are determined to spread the story everywhere these products are sold. Events like the WFP Convention and the sandcastle competition in Galveston are just the start.

Telling the Mott's Story (6/3/10)

 

Local 220 member Jerome Camp, who is on strike against Mott's in Williamson, New York, met with New York labor leaders on Tuesday to talk about the Mott's workers and their fight for a fair contract. Pictured (left to right) are AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, Camp, and RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum.

Music From the Picket Line (6/2/10) 

RWDSU Local 220 member Charles Mattice is on strike against Mott's in Williamson, New York. The singer/songwriter just posted "Everything is Fine on the Picket Line," his new song about the solidarity of the union members on the picket line. Watch and listen here.

Video: Striking Mott's Workers Speak Out (6/1/10)

Senator Gillibrand Urges Mott's to Bargain in Good Faith (5/27/10)

Video: Mott's Workers Strike Due to Unfair Labor Practices (5/24/10) 

Strike!: Mott's Wage Cuts Despite Huge Profits Forces Work Stoppage (5/23/10)