More than 100 Pepsi-Cola drivers in Atlanta and Lithonia, Georgia, authorized a strike, Teamsters Local 528 said, putting a possible walkout in play in a dispute over wages and benefits.
The union’s Nov. 6 announcement described the ballot as unanimous. It did not say when the vote took place or disclose how many ballots were cast or the turnout. The announcement did not say drivers had stopped work.
Local 528 says its members want higher wages and better benefits. Local 528 President Donnie Newell said company proposals would keep pay unchanged during the contract’s opening years. Pepsi-Cola driver and Local 528 member Javon Kersey said, “We don’t want to strike, but the company is leaving us with no other option.”
National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) records show Local 528 was certified to represent bargaining units at both sites in January 2026. Atlanta’s representation vote had 30 votes in favor and 12 against from 42 ballots counted; Lithonia had 43 votes in favor and nine against from 52 ballots. Those elections concerned union representation and were separate from the strike vote. The union did not publish the strike vote’s date, ballot count or turnout.
An open NLRB case filed by Local 528 on Feb. 27 against Pepsi Beverages Company lists an allegation of refusal to bargain or bad-faith bargaining. A second open case, filed March 31, lists a discipline allegation against the company. Both remain open, and neither is an agency finding.
Separately, an individual filed an open charge against Local 528 on Nov. 5 in Lithonia. The NLRB case page lists a coercion allegation but does not describe the alleged conduct. It provides no details and does not establish a connection to the contract dispute. The announcement gave no strike date or date for another bargaining session.
