Any successful person will tell you progress is never achieved without failures along the way. Often, it’s the attempts themselves that move the needle, and one need only look at the history of labor unions in the United States to see that collective organizing—even when it fizzles—serves as a reflection of society’s evolving needs and workers’ demands.
This year, workers at Creature Comforts Brewing Company in Athens, Georgia, attempted to create the Brewing Union of Georgia (BUG) in order to improve workplace conditions, compensation, and communication among all departments and brewery locations (including the newest outpost in Los Angeles). It was always a longshot, as many unionization attempts at breweries have been, including at Chicago’s Goose Island in 2019, a failed drive at Surly Brewing in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2021, and a years-long fight at Anchor Brewing Company that succeeded but was then ended with the company’s closure this year. In states like Georgia, this struggle is especially hard, thanks to right-to-work laws that weaken collective bargaining power.
BUG’s union drive didn’t pass, under contested circumstances that included accusations of tampering and retaliation against organizers. BUG was not the first labor union endeavor to fail, nor is it likely to be the last. Pervasive low wages, lack of benefits, and physically demanding jobs continue to define work in many breweries, and in today’s post-COVID world, employees are asked to do more for less. The future of labor unions in craft beer remains uncertain, but as the status quo of employment continues to change, it’s attempts like these that continue to inspire others to know they are worth more—and that power ultimately lies with the people.
Words,Beth Demmon