Grammy Award Winner Steve Earle Drops Diet Dr Pepper From His Contract Requirements to Support RWDSU Mott's Strikers

WILLIAMSON, N.Y., Aug. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Grammy award winning singer and songwriter Steve Earle is publicly calling for Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) to come back to the table and bargain a fair contract with members of RWDSU Local 220, who have been on strike for 11 weeks against Mott's LLP (a wholly owned subsidiary of Dr Pepper Snapple Group) in Williamson, New York.

Mr. Earle is going to stop drinking Diet Dr. Pepper until the strike is resolved. Up until now he has been an extremely enthusiastic drinker of that soda and it has been in his concert rider that Diet Dr. Pepper is stocked in his dressing room at all of his performances. He is going to immediately remove that clause from his rider.

"I'm from Texas and I've been drinking DP every day since I was 10 years old but I won't touch another drop until these folks get a fair contract," Mr. Earle said.

Despite record profits ($555 million in 2009) Dr Pepper Snapple Group has imposed a $1.50 per hour wage cut for all workers, elimination of the pension plan, a 20 percent decrease in employer contributions to the 401K and an increase in employee contributions toward health care premiums and co-pays. By contrast, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group President & CEO Larry D. Young enjoyed a 113 percent increase in his total compensation from 2007-2009 (or 29 percent each year). Mr. Young's total compensation last year was more than $6.5 million.

"It is a real honor as a striker and a big fan to have the support of Steve Earle. We know that when people find out about what Mott's did to us up here, they will follow Mr. Earle's example and will choose different beverages until DPS bargains a fair contract," said Charlie Mattice, a Mott's striker and country singer/songwriter himself.

For more information on the strike www.mottsworkers.com

About the RWDSU

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union represents 100,000 members in the U.S. and Canada. The RWDSU is affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

SOURCE Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union