After more than two weeks on strike, more than 200 union employees with the Perrigo pharmaceutical manufacturing plant at 1625, 1700 and 1701 Bathgate Ave. returned to work Sept. 22 under a newly ratified contract.
The employees are members of Teamsters Local 210, which represents logistics, health care, transportation and manufacturing workers. They walked off the job Sept. 2 after accusing Perrigo of planning to expand its operations to 24 hours while denying overtime pay, stopping retirement contributions and attempting to replace striking employees with temporary workers.
The union also filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing Perrigo of bargaining in bad faith and making coercive statements.
After negotiations resumed, workers approved a three-year contract that includes “significant” wage increases and protects overtime and benefits “without a single concession,” Teamsters Local 210 said in a statement.
However, Perrigo has denied the union’s accusations and said the company was pleased to reach an agreement.
The company “at no time offered to eliminate overtime at the site nor reduce contributions to the pension and annuity plans. Any contrary comments are complete fabrications,” said Bradley Joseph, vice president of global investor relations and corporate communications, in a Sept. 23 emailed statement to the Bronx Times.
“This was a good outcome and it’s important to note that Perrigo continued good-faith negotiations throughout the process,” Joseph said.
Perrigo is the world’s largest manufacturer of private-label, over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and consumer health products. Its largest customers are Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, Amazon, and Costco, and it employs more than 8,000 people in 33 countries.
The Bronx strike drew widespread attention, and Perrigo faced significant public pressure from numerous Bronx elected officials who issued statements of support or walked the picket line with the Teamsters, including Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson; Congress Members Ritchie Torres and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; state Sens. Luis Sepulveda, Gustavo Rivera and Nathalia Fernandez; Assembly Members Chantal Jackson, Amanda Septimo, Karines Reyes and Emerita Torres; and New York City Council Majority Leader Amanda Farías.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer also issued a statement as a strike entered its third week, and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani joined the picketing workers on Sept. 15.
“These Teamsters proved that when you stand together, you can beat back threats and win,” said Lydia Torres, vice president of Local 210, in a statement. “Our members will return to work with their heads held high, their futures more secure, and their solidarity stronger than ever.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
