Teamsters at Airgas are on Strike in response to the company’s Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs) and refusal to negotiate fair contracts.

The Tank Haul Workers - represented by Teamsters Local 507 in Cleveland and Local 701 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, have extended picket lines to eight locations across the States of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island.

“The greedy people who run this company are breaking the law and interfering with our Members’ rights. They have disrespected the Workers who built this business and now they are facing the consequences,” said Juan Campos, who serves as Director of the Teamsters Tank Haul Division and is a Teamsters International Vice President At-Large.

Airgas is a subsidiary of the French multi-national corporation Air Liquide and is the largest distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases in the U.S.

Last year, the company reported a record $3.8 billion in net profits, yet it continues to break the law and refuses to bargain agreements that meet industry standards, Union Officials said.

“Management has forced us to Strike,” said Adam Hayes, an Airgas Teamster and Union Steward with Local 507. “Teamsters are united nationwide and we’ll do whatever it takes to win a fair contract.”

The Teamsters represent hundreds of Airgas Workers across the country and are prepared to extend picket lines to even more locations - if necessary.

“This company talks a big game about safety and respect, but when it comes down to it, they won’t even sit across the table and negotiate a real contract,” said Shawn Diaz, an Airgas Teamster and Union Steward with Local 701. “We’ll stay out as long as it takes for Airgas to treat us with the dignity and respect we’ve earned.”

Teamsters represents 1.3 million Members in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.

To Directly Access This Labor News Report, Go To: Teamsters Launch Nationwide Airgas Strike - International Brotherhood of Teamsters