Pyramid Brewery Shut Down – Laid-Off Workers Allege Union-Busting

The Pyramid Brewery in Berkeley has shut down, and laid-off employees say the closure is retaliation by the company for their unionizing efforts, KTVU reported.

Employees, who received their last pay checks Friday, said the parent company, New York-based North American Breweries, informed them of the pending closure weeks after the workers starting unionizing efforts, KTVU reported. They said they were told that the reason was a contamination problem with the beer.

The company declined to comment on the labor dispute, and said it had identified a "quality issue" at the Berkeley plant and moved beer production to another facility, according to KTVU.

Employees allege poor working conditions, including less than 30-minute lunch breaks and no raises.

The facility at 901 Gilman Street was closed today, Saturday, and and couple of small "Boycott Pyramid" signs had been posted around the site. 

The adjoining Pyramid Alehouse and restaurant remains open.

A couple of reader posts on the Pyramid Facebook page criticize the company.

"Rehire your workers, they are dedicated and caring employees who deserve and are legally entitled to union representation if they seek it," says a post by John Majeski. "And they probably wouldn't seek such action in the first place if they were paid well and treated with better working conditions."