Elected Officials Support Coca Cola Strikers

Todd Piro
NBC Connecticut
May 25, 2012

With the Coca Cola workers strike entering its second weekend, Washington came to East Hartford to lend its support.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy joined the striking workers on Friday.

"You are in a fight.  Not just for yourselves, but for working men and women across the United States of America.   You are in a fight for the middle class of America," Blumenthal said.

Workers at the Coca Cola bottling plant in East Hartford are upset that Coca Cola now wants employees to pay for health insurance.

In their last contract, the union took less in pay to have health insurance covered.

Their contract expired on Dec. 4, and the union members decided to strike after no agreement could be reached after nearly six months of negotiations.

Officials from the soda company said all other plants chip in for health insurance and East Hartford should as well.

It remains anyone's guess when these 350 or so members of the Teamsters Local 1035 will get back to work.

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