Picket Line Against Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) Extended to National Fruit Product Company, Inc. in Winchester, Virginia; National Fruit Now Co-Packing Mott's struck product

WINCHESTER, Va., July 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Members of RWDSU Local 220 on strike for nearly 8 weeks against Mott's LLP (a wholly owned subsidiary of Dr Pepper Snapple Group) are taking their picket line to National Fruit manufacturing plant in Winchester, VA to protest Mott's outsourcing and co-packing of applesauce due to slowed production in the Mott's Williamson, NY plant.  Strikers and union members will be leafleting National Fruit production workers about the ongoing labor dispute at Mott's.

Now on their 7th week of striking, the Mott's strikers will set up new picket lines in front of the National Fruit Product Company facility located at 701 Fairmont Avenue in Winchester, VA on Wednesday beginning 8:00 a.m. and running through Friday at 5:00 p.m. The National Fruit Product Company manufactures apple juices and sauces, apple rings, apple butter and vinegar products trading under the White House label.  National Fruit is a direct competitor of Mott's.

Over 300 full time manufacturing workers at the Mott's plant in Williamson, New York went out on strike on May 23rd as a result of unfair labor practices committed by corporate executives in their efforts to impose drastic and unprecedented wage and benefit cuts on their workforce.  The Mott's strikers will also be joined by members of UFCW Local 400.

"The workers who have been on strike for the past 8 weeks are the same workers who helped make the Mott's brand successful and the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group the highly profitable company it is today," said Stuart Appelbaum,  president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, UFCW.  "Taking advantage of dislocations in the American economy to pay workers what you think you can get away with rather than what they are worth is rotten business, and frankly un-American!""

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% decrease in employer contributions to the 401K and increased employee contributions toward health care premiums and co-pays.   By contrast, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group President & CEO Larry D. Young has enjoyed a 113% increase in his total compensation over the last 3 years (or 29 percent each year).  Mr. Young's total compensation last year was $6.5 million.  

"We always knew they couldn't run efficiently without us, but now we have proof with the National Fruit co-packing," said Stephanie Draper, 1 year, PHD Line Technician

"They have a factory in Williamson, NY made for applesauce manufacturing, with hundreds of unskilled workers inside and yet they have to send Mott's labels to their competitors to stick on other applesauce?  All we are asking for is to keep what we have, not to make great gains.  It seems like Dr Pepper is determined to make management choices that hurt their shareholders and undermine Mott's quality," said Bruce Beal, 8 years, Label Operator.

NYS Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy and Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have urged Mott's executives to get back to the negotiating table and bargain in good faith.

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