Sapporo-Stone workers in Virginia have begun a union drive, VinePair’s Dave Infante reported Monday.
Workers at Sapporo-Stone’s Richmond facilities are seeking “higher pay, more consistent scheduling and better working conditions,” per the report.
On Monday afternoon, an organizer with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters’ Local 322 delivered a request for recognition to Joel Pipman, Sapporo-Stone VP of brewing operations, VinePair reported. The proposed bargaining unit includes 90 workers, including brewery workers, maintenance, warehouse and hospitality workers.
A Sapporo-Stone spokesperson shared the following statement with Brewbound:
“Today we were approached by the Teamsters regarding potential unionization of our RVA team. We respect the right of our team members to choose or not to choose whether they want to be represented by a union. We agree with our team members’ desire for the best possible workplace and we believe this is best accomplished without a union. Taking care of our team is our No. 1 priority.”
Japanese beer giant Sapporo acquired Stone Brewing, then the seventh-largest independent craft brewery in the country, for $165 million in September 2022.
This isn’t the first time Sapporo’s U.S. efforts have faced union efforts. In San Francisco, the company’s workforce at Anchor Brewing Company led a successful union effort in 2019 to join the International Longshoremen and Warehouse Union Local 6. The company later ceased operations at the brewery in 2023 and sold the operation this year to Hamdi Ulukaya, the billionaire founder, CEO and chairman of yogurt brand Chobani.
2024 has proven an eventful year for Sapporo-Stone, with the appointment of Zachary Keeling as CEO in June, the start of a $60 million expansion plan in May that will expand production across its bicoastal facilities to 700,000 barrels annually and the transfer of nearly all production stateside for U.S. distribution.
Sapporo-Stone is the 21st largest beer category vendor in Circana-tracked off-premise retailers year-to-date through August 11. The company has posted more than $62.6 million in sales (-2.2% year-over-year), while volume has declined -3.5%.
Sapporo recently shared that the brand had achieved its “largest month of shipments ever” in July 2024.