More than one hundred members of Teamsters Local 25 and dozens more supporters gathered outside of Dunkin' Donuts on State Street in Boston on Thursday, July 22^nd to support drivers and helpers at Northeast DCP, Dunkin' Donuts largest distributor, who have been fighting for a first contract for over eleven months. 

Despite their best efforts, Local 25 made little progress in resolving several outstanding issues with DCP during a federally mediated bargaining session held on July 16^th. Concluding that future negotiations would be equally fruitless, Local 25 has begun organizing for regional and national boycotts of the chain, hoping that Northeast DCP will return to the table to bargain in good faith rather than take on the entire Labor Movement.

If there was ever any doubt that the Teamsters would have the full backing of the Labor Movement in a boycott of the chain, it was put to rest by the strong showing of labor leaders who pledged their backing at the rally. Speaking were David Laughton, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Joint Council 10; Michael Monahan, Business Manager of IBEW Local 103; Rich Rogers, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Greater Boston Labor Council; Robert McCarthy, President of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts; John Laughlin, Political Director of IUPAT D.C. 35; A.J. Castilla, President of AFGE Local 2617; and political leaders including Massachusetts State Senator Ken Donnelly and State Representative Marty Walsh.

 

Teamsters Local 25 President Sean O'Brien emceed and spoke at the rally, saying, “It’s obvious to all of us that after 24 negotiating sessions lasting over 11 months, Dunkin’ Donuts Northeast DCP is committed to breaking the union.”  He continued, “Instead of wasting the franchisees’ money by hiring union-busting law firms and trying to negotiate decreases in current benefits, the company should be using their resources to improve the employees’ health care, wages and working conditions. What amazes me is that even after all of our sessions the company still wants to take away benefits the employees currently enjoy.”

President O'Brien went on to mention a historical footnote showing that the current management of Dunkin' Donuts has abandoned the working-class roots of its founder: “The irony with this situation is that the original Dunkin’ Donuts founder, Bill Rosenberg, was a Union delegate for Bethlehem Steel at a shipyard in Hingham, Mass., during World War II. It is clearly evident organized labor played a significant role in the success of Dunkin’ Donuts. If it were not for Union wages and job security, Mr. Rosenberg would most likely not have been able to open his first Dunkin’ Donuts.”

 All those in attendance agreed that it is time to send a message to coffee drinkers everywhere—that the company claiming “America Runs on Dunkin’” is running away from its employees concerns over health care, wages and working conditions. Echoes of mass agreement erupted from the protestors, as it was decided that the union would finally take this fight to the next level.  Soon Dunkin’ Donuts will realize that America does not in fact run on Dunkin— rather that Dunkin’ that runs on America, and more importantly on the labor of its hardworking families.

 

Click here for pictures from the rally.