Coors strike and boycott facts for kids
The Coors strike and boycott was a big protest against the Coors Brewing Company in Golden, Colorado. It involved people refusing to buy Coors products (a boycott) and workers stopping work (a strike).
The boycott started in 1966. It was led by Hispanic groups who felt Coors treated Hispanic and African American workers unfairly. They also didn't like the Coors family's support for certain political ideas. Over time, more groups joined the boycott. These included women's rights groups, labor unions, and LGBT activists. LGBT activists were concerned because Coors used a special test called a polygraph test. They believed this test was used to unfairly screen out LGBT people when hiring.
In 1977, workers at the Coors brewery went on strike. They were upset about the polygraph tests and how easily workers could be fired. The strike lasted for over a year. Even though the workers' union eventually broke up, the boycott continued for many more years. It finally ended in the mid-1980s after Coors made agreements with several groups.
The boycott and strike had a big impact on Coors. The company's sales dropped a lot in some areas. It also encouraged Coors to start selling its beer across the whole country. Even today, some groups, especially in the LGBT community, still remember the boycott and its reasons.
Contents
Why the Protests Started
Coors and Its Workers
The Coors Brewing Company was started in 1873 by Adolph Coors. By 1975, it was one of the biggest brewing companies in the United States. Its brewery in Golden, Colorado, was the largest in the world.
Coors beer was special because it wasn't pasteurized. This meant it had to be kept cold all the time. At first, Coors only sold its beer in 11 states in the western U.S. This limited area made the beer very popular, and some people even illegally transported it to the eastern states.
Workers at Coors had unions since the 1930s. However, the company often had problems with these unions. Many unions at Coors facilities had failed over the years.
The Coors Family and Their Views
By 1975, members of the Coors family ran the company. This included Joseph Coors and William Coors. The family was known for supporting conservative political ideas. Joseph Coors, in particular, was described as very conservative.
Joseph Coors was on the board of the University of Colorado. He was against student protests and new courses about Mexican American studies. He was even nominated for a government position by President Richard Nixon. But his nomination was stopped because of concerns about his political donations. Joseph Coors also gave money to many conservative groups.
The Boycott Begins
Hispanic and African American Concerns
In 1966, a group called the American GI Forum and another called Crusade for Justice started a boycott against Coors. They were upset because Coors discriminated against Mexican Americans. For example, in 1968, only a small number of Coors' 1,330 employees were Mexican American. Most of these workers had low-level jobs. Very few women worked at Coors, too.
In the early 1970s, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission found Coors guilty of firing a worker because of his race. They also ruled against Coors for discriminating against African Americans. A government agency, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), also filed a lawsuit against Coors in 1975. They said that most African American and Mexican American workers were in unskilled jobs. Coors settled this lawsuit in 1977.
Hispanic activists were also upset about the Coors family's actions during the Delano grape strike. This was a protest by farm workers. The Coors family supported grape growers who did not use unions. Some reports even showed Coors trucks carrying grapes from non-union farms.
The boycott grew, and national Hispanic organizations joined in. They met with William Coors to discuss their concerns, but they couldn't reach an agreement.
The Strike Action
Quick facts for kids 1977–1978 Coors strike |
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| Date | April 5, 1977 – December 14, 1978 (1 year, 8 months, 1 week and 2 days) |
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During the boycott, Coors brewery workers were part of a union called Brewery Workers Local 366. Even though the pay and benefits were good, workers were unhappy with the working conditions. A big problem was the 21 reasons Coors could fire someone. These included saying anything bad about the company or discouraging people from drinking Coors beer.
In 1976, workers voted to keep their union. But in 1977, the union and Coors couldn't agree on a new contract. The main issues were the company's firing rules and the use of polygraph tests for new hires. Coors also wanted to change rules about how long workers had been with the company (seniority rights).
On April 5, 1977, about 1,500 union members went on strike. Coors quickly told them they would hire new workers if needed. The company warned that striking workers could lose their jobs. A week later, the AFL-CIO, a large group of unions, announced a national boycott of Coors to support the striking workers.
Coors began hiring new workers to replace the strikers. Many striking workers eventually went back to work without a contract. By late 1978, Coors pushed for a vote to remove the union from the brewery. On December 14, workers voted to get rid of Brewery Workers Local 366. This ended the strike.
The Boycott Continues
Even after the strike ended, the AFL-CIO continued its nationwide boycott. Other groups also joined the boycott. The National Education Association, a large teachers' union, supported the boycott in 1984. The National Organization for Women also started a boycott. They were upset about Joseph Coors' opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment.
Around this time, Coors started trying to improve its relationships with minority groups. In 1987, Coors signed agreements with groups like the NAACP and Operation PUSH. They promised to do more business with minority companies and hire more minority workers. Because of these agreements, some groups ended their boycott threats.
In 1986, Coors announced they would stop using polygraph tests. This had been a major issue. By 1987, Coors was selling its beer in 47 states. It was the only large brewery in the U.S. that didn't have unions. In February 1987, students at Harvard University protested Joseph Coors during a speech he gave.
End of the Boycott
Agreement Between Unions and Coors
In 1985, Pete Coors, Joseph's son, took over running the company. He immediately started talking with the AFL-CIO to end the boycott. On August 19, 1987, they reached an agreement. Coors agreed to use union workers to build a new facility in Virginia. They also agreed to make it easier for workers to vote on joining a union at their Golden facility.
Union leaders celebrated this agreement as a big victory. They said it showed that boycotts could work. However, some union members were still critical. They pointed out that Coors did not guarantee a union contract for its workers.
Teamsters Union Vote
Another union, the Teamsters, was also trying to organize workers at the Golden plant. After the agreement, the Teamsters became part of the AFL-CIO. They then led the effort to organize workers at the Golden plant.
In December 1988, workers at the Golden plant voted on whether to join the Teamsters union. After 18 months of campaigning, the workers voted against unionizing. The final vote was 1,081 against joining the union and 413 in favor.
Impact of the Protests
The strike and boycotts had a big effect on Coors. The company's sales dropped significantly in some states. For example, in California, Coors' market share fell from over 40 percent to just 14 percent. In Colorado, it dropped from 47 percent to 24 percent.
Coors leaders admitted that the boycott hurt their sales in the West. Some believe the decrease in sales encouraged Coors to expand and sell its beer across the entire country. By 1988, Coors was sold in almost every state.
The protests also left a lasting impact on communities. Many Hispanic and Chicano people in Colorado still choose not to drink Coors products today.
Legacy in the LGBT Community
The relationship between Coors and the LGBT community remained difficult even after the boycott ended. Coors tried to improve its image by advertising to the LGBT community and donating to events like pride parades. They also offered benefits to workers in domestic partnerships.
However, many in the LGBT community still remembered Coors' past actions. They also remained concerned about the Coors family's continued support for conservative politics. As late as 2019, it was still hard to find Coors beer in many gay bars in San Francisco. This shows how long the impact of the boycott lasted for some groups.
