The strike at the Oregon-based drinks distributor Bigfoot Beverages has passed the six month mark.
Workers have been on the picket line since Sept. 19. They're demanding a contract that retains their pension plan, rather than transitioning to a 401(k).
Bigfoot stopped recognizing the union in December, claiming they'd received a petition from the majority of workers asking to drop their union representation.
However, employees can't leave a union just by signing a petition, according to the National Labor Relations Board. They also need to hold a unit-wide decertification vote, which workers argue never happened.
On March 18, a handful of picketers stood on the line outside of the Bigfoot facility near Eugene. Picket captain Rachel Alldredge said striking workers have been receiving financial assistance from the Teamsters, which helps them get by without their normal wages.
Alldredge said the union is now stuck in a waiting game with Bigfoot, while the company continues to able to secure work with some businesses despite boycotts.
"They’re waiting for us to dissolve, and we’re waiting for them to come back to the table," said Alldredge, "and really what we’re really waiting for at this point is those Unfair Labor Practice charges to go through the system.”
Both the company and the union have filed multiple complaints with the NLRB. The heads of that agency have been targets of firings by the Trump administration, but quorum was restored earlier this month.
Alldredge said it may take months to see the NLRB intervene, but the union is in it for the long haul.
"I do believe that those charges will be resolved at some point, and we'll be reinstated at our jobs," said Alldredge.
In the meantime, representatives of Bigfoot and the union have both reported experiencing physical and verbal harassment during the strike.
Bigfoot Beverages did not respond to KLCC's request for comment.
