Coca-Cola Bottling Plant Workers Striking In Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — It could be more difficult to get Coca-Cola and related products in the Philadelphia region for the foreseeable future as workers at one of its regional plants are on strike.

About 400 members of Teamsters 830 are on strike at Liberty Coca-Cola, located in Philadelphia's Juniata section, Fox 29 reports.

The union and Liberty Coca-Cola were unable to reach a contract agreeable to the union after more than a dozen, lengthy bargaining session, Action News reports.

Negotiations centered on compensation and benefits packages.

Union members unanimously voted down the contact offered by Liberty Coca-Cola.

"From the outset of our lengthy negotiations on a new contract, Liberty Coca-Cola has treated my members and the entire process with disdain," Teamsters 830 Secretary-Treasurer Daniel Grace said in a statement. "For a company that calls itself 'the annual top performer in sales and revenues,' their last contract proposal was insulting. Compensation is a huge sticking point, as is their unwillingness to budge on a fair benefits package for our members. Liberty Coca-Cola knows that our Local 830 members are the driving force behind their operations and success, yet they think they can treat us like second-class citizens. We won’t stand for it."

Teamsters 830 represents warehouse and production workers, as well as sales and marketing personnel.

Liberty Coca-Cola produces Coke, Dasani Water, Fanta, Dr. Pepper, Gold Peak Iced Tea, Minute Maid, Sprite and other beverage brands.

Liberty told NBC 10 it has a plan to allow continued delivery of products throughout the Philadelphia region.