1949 New York City brewery strike
The strike had an immediate economic impact on the New York City-based breweries, costing the companies approximately $75 million in gross sales.
[10] The contract between the union and companies was set to expire at midnight on March 31 of that year, and in the month leading up to that, representatives from both sides met in several rounds of negotiations to discuss the contents of a new deal.
Workers also wanted a five-hour reduction to their 40-hour work weeks, the addition of an extra man on delivery trucks operated by only one person, and a pension plan.
[4] O'Dwyer also claimed that 20 brewery workers had been killed on the job in New York City over the previous four years and that injuries and workplace hazards had increased.
Representatives of both Liebmann and Edelbrew announced they would not be shipping out their products that day, and police were informed to be alert for any disturbances at the city's breweries.
[7] On April 3, strikers stationed at the Holland Tunnel and George Washington Bridge talked to beer truck delivery drivers coming into the city from New Jersey and convinced them to turn around, honoring their strike.
On April 4, union and company representatives met in Manhattan as part of negotiations overseen by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services.
[18] However, brewers from New Jersey withheld shipping their beer to New York City, claiming fears of possible violence or strike action if they did.
[21] Around this same time, strikers were involved in an altercation in Brooklyn during a picket when they attempted to prevent the unloading of beer shipped into the city from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
[23] That night, strikers held a rally at St. Nicholas Arena where they announced that the strike would continue as the union rejected the brewers' $3 weekly raise proposal.
Additionally, it was announced that 400 members of the International Association of Machinists (IAM), a national independent union, would also begin a work stoppage against the 13 breweries.
[24] On April 16, the Edelbrew Brewery in Brooklyn announced that they had come to an agreement with the 250 workers at that plant, reducing the number of brewers involved in the strike to 12.
As part of the agreement, the workers received a wage increase that would be retroactive from April 1, while working hours, holidays, and bargaining rights remained the same.
[28] The next day, the New York City brewery workers rejected an offer that was similar to the New Jersey deal,[29] which would have seen hourly wage increases of between $0.35 to $0.40, a $175 bonus, a 40-hour week, and other benefits.
[30] On June 2, the Brooklyn Eagle reported that brewery workers on strike accounted for nearly half of the increase in the number of people in the city applying for unemployment benefits.
[31] However, by June 4, it was reported that a deal was close to being reached between company and union representatives, with a meeting held that night at the Commodore Hotel aimed at settling small disagreements.
With this, union members elected to continue the strike for their original demands, which included an $8.50 weekly raise and the assurance of two men per truck.
[35] Following the rejection, the brewers announced on June 15 that they would no longer be making any concessions to the strikers, who they alleged were solely responsible for the $40 million in lost sales they had experienced at that point due to the strike.
In terms of direct financial damage, it is estimated that the strike caused $75 million loss in gross sales for the local companies.
[39] Brands such as Blatz and Budweiser became popular,[1] and that year, Wisconsin overtook New York as the leading beer-producing state in the country.
