TEAMSTERS AT MAUSER FORCED TO STRIKE
Over 100 Chicago Workers on the Picket Lines as Strike Extends to L.A. and Minnesota
CHICAGO, June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — More than 100 Teamsters at Mauser Packaging Solutions in Chicago are on strike after the company failed to offer a fair contract. The warehouse workers, represented by Teamsters Local 705, are demanding higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions.
'Mauser is striking itself by refusing to put a serious offer on the table,' said Juan Campos, President of Local 705 and Teamsters International Vice President At-Large. 'Our members do essential work, and they deserve a contract that reflects their value. They are taking action to hold this greedy company accountable.'
Mauser is a multinational packaging company that manufactures drums, cans, bottles, and intermediate bulk containers. The Teamsters represent hundreds of Mauser workers across the U.S. Local 705's strike in Chicago has already extended to Mauser locations in Los Angeles and Minnesota.
'All we're asking is for wages and benefits that let us support our families and keep up with the cost of living,' said Leon Garrett, a warehouse worker at Mauser's Chicago facility and a member of Local 705. 'We don't want to be on strike, but management left us no choice. This is about corporate greed, plain and simple.'
This isn't the company's first attempt to undercut workers. In April, Mauser's subsidiary, Industrial Container Services (ICS), locked out Teamsters Local 117 members in Seattle in a blatant attempt to break the union during contract negotiations. The strike by Local 705 members in Chicago marks a major escalation in the fight against Mauser's anti-union playbook.
'Mauser tried to push us out instead of bargaining fairly,' said Brian Perfitt, a locked-out Teamster at ICS and member of Local 117. 'Now they're trying the same thing in Chicago — but they're not just fighting one group of Teamsters. They're up against the entire Teamsters Union.'
'Mauser is about to find out what it means to take on the Teamsters,' said Tom Erickson, Director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division. 'We are bringing the full strength of this union to the fight. Our members will not be disrespected, and we will not back down.'
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
Contact:Colin McCullough, (856)625-6856cmccullough@teamster.org
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