Teamsters OK 5-year contract with Anheuser-Busch

ST. LOUIS - The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. said Thursday the union's members ratified a five-year contract with the brewer.

The agreement covering more than 6,500 workers at the company's 12 breweries includes wage increases totaling 15 percent in the next five years.

The deal, ratified nearly four months before the current contract expires, includes renewing the St. Louis-based brewer's contractual commitment to keep the dozen breweries open during the next five years.

The agreement is the first contract members voted on since the brewer announced it agreed to sell itself to Belgian brewer InBev SA. Shareholders are set to vote on that deal next Wednesday. Both InBev and Anheuser-Busch said they expect the $52 billion deal to close by the end of the year.

Anheuser-Busch said in a news release the new contract will continue to provide good health benefits, keep up with inflation, and improve pensions and provide increase life insurance for employees, their spouses and dependents.

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