July 2003

by Meghan McDonough

Tumwater, WA

What do you do when the largest union wage employer decides to leave town, placing your community's water supply and your local economy at risk? Labor and Environmentalists agree: You get the community talking.

After 107 years of operation, the current owners of the Tumwater Brewery, South African Breweries/Miller announced they would close the plant on January 9, 2003. In following months, local Labor and environmental leaders and community members convened the Thurston Blue-Green Working Group to discuss what could be done to replace good jobs lost, ensure clean . . .