Fuentes, Juan, artist. Boycott Coors Beer. United States: Howard Quinn Co., 1997. Published by Mission Gráfica. Photograph.
Embedded Files
This poster was made by Juan Fuentes, a Chicano activist who grew up in farm labor camps in Monterey County with his large family. Neither of his parents attended school growing up, and they had to work extremely hard to provide for their family. He dedicated his art to his activism and creating a global movement for social change. In the artwork, we see both a white hand and a black hand crushing the Coors can, alluding to crushing Coors sales and their stigma towards minorities. The image of a Black and a white hand crushing the can together symbolizes the power of unity and solidarity between different racial groups. Another key detail is the use of both English and Spanish text on the poster. Fuentes knew his audience consisted of Spanish-speaking Coors workers because the Mexican-American and Black workers were being discriminated against. What better way to rally support than to promote the boycott in the victims’ native language? The poster was made by a working-class, underpaid, underrepresented man, for the overworked, working-class. This poster was likely one of the only ways the protest became about. It brought attention to the fact that only 2% of the workers at the brewery were Mexican, whereas the population of Mexicans statewide was 15-20%. Coors’ blatant employment discrimination and unlawful firing were among the many reasons the boycott commenced.
Coors Boycott and Strike Support Coalition of Colorado. Boycott Coors Beer! Brewed with Pure Rocky Mountain Scab Labor. 1977. Denver, CO.
This 1977 poster, distributed by the Coors Boycott Strike Support Coalition of Colorado, shows a large crowd of men and women protesting outside a Coors brewery. A billboard on the building features the Coors logo with the phrase “wage slavery,” while bold text across the top declares, “Brewed with Pure Rocky Mountain Scab Labor.” One protester holds a sign reading “Defeat fascism at Coors,” and two monstrous, human-like creatures appear on either side of the illustration – a play on the old Coors logo. The term “scab” refers to strikebreakers, highlighting Coors’ use of replacement labor during the strike. These visuals reinforce the message that Coors profited by exploiting workers and breaking the strike. The size of the crowd emphasizes widespread public support and collective resistance. The monstrous figures visually represent those who cross the picket line, portraying them as inhuman and disloyal. The sign calling to “defeat fascism at Coors” alludes to the company’s extreme right-wing politics. Women like Rosie Castro, a founder of the Raza Unida Party and Chicana activist, used the Coors boycott to highlight how major corporations like Coors exploited Mexican American workers while simultaneously supporting right-wing political agendas that negatively impact the Chicano workers. The Raza Unida Party was a large supporter of the boycott because the party was built upon politically empowering Chicanos and fighting right-wing political causes that support systemic racism; exactly what Coors was doing. The boycott was a way to confront the company’s influence and promote social justice aligned with Raza Unida’s goals: to end Mexican-American discrimination.
Artist Unknown. Boycott Coors. n.d. Poster. UC Santa Barbara, Special Research Collections.
Another way that the Coors Brewery discriminated against its workers was through the use of polygraph tests. There was a clause in employee contracts stating that all workers were required to undergo a mandatory polygraph test, in which they could be asked to reveal their sexual orientation. Coor’s discriminatory practices intruded on the private lives of gay individuals. Luckily, Local 366, the union representing Coors workers in Colorado, had joined forces with the AFL-CIO and, with the help of George Meany, expanded the boycott to 15 other states where Coors was located. The LGBTQ community then expressed their concerns over the discrimination they endured by the company and brought light to the larger social issue at hand: the oppression of gay people. The cooperation between the workers' union and gay organizations created a much larger platform and group of people to rally behind their boycott. The picture depicts a Mexican man and woman being chained to the lie detector test and being pulled by an evil and scary-looking man. The chains resemble the fact that these workers cannot simply find another job; most workers are stuck in the horrible working conditions and cannot find a job equal to that of a white man. The menacing grin on the man reinforced the reality of powerful men who exploit vulnerable workers for their selfish gains.
Nicoletta, Dan. Teamster 'Allan Baird' Activist 'Harvey Milk'. 1976. Photograph. Coors Beer Boycott.
This image is important because it shows two influential leaders during the Coors boycott: Allen Baird, who led Teamsters Local 921, and Harvey Milk, a prominent gay rights activist from San Francisco. Milk managed to get gay bars to stop serving Coors Beer, arguing that its sales support Coors’ discrimination against LGBTQ people. Meanwhile, the Teamsters represented beer delivery workers who faced low wages and discrimination while protesting Coors’ anti-union stance. Despite being a traditionally conservative union, the Teamsters formed a surprising alliance with Milk, uniting labor and gay rights activists in their fight against Coors. Allan Baird began openly hiring gay truck drivers, the first being a man named Howard Wallace. Milk tied the invasive polygraph tests to workers' rights issues and gay rights issues. Their platform was established on stage through the use of protests held at local bars and word of mouth. These men coming together to unify the struggles of workers and gay people is a powerful example of how diverse groups of people can rally for a shared cause. By merging forces, the groups amplified their successes. Coors sales near the Bay Area had dropped, and the newfound alliances built the groundwork for future collaborations between labor unions and gay rights. For example, in the late 1980s, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), representing many healthcare workers, became a key labor ally of ACT UP, a social movement fighting the AIDS crisis. SEIU members joined ACT UP’s sit-ins to demand more government funding for AIDS research and affordable medications. The Coors boycott’s model of solidarity between labor unions and gay rights made such collaborations more possible and effective.
Brewery Workers Local 366. The Issue Is Dignity. 1977. Paper. Auraria Library, Denver, CO.
This manifesto, written by the Brewery Workers Local 366, is a message directed towards the public to set clear intentions and motivation for the protests against the discriminatory and demeaning nature of the Coors institution. The issue is not necessarily the work itself, but more so the degrading of one's political position. The workers want dignity and the right to keep their personal preferences private; they do not want to be subjected to a polygraph test where personal questions are used to determine their eligibility to work. The company would discharge someone if they refuse to submit to a physical examination or allow “unreasonable searches”. The document reveals the invalid reasons for termination, like critical remarks about employers or the beer, refusal to cross picket lines, and political stance. Essentially, working at Coors is signing away your freedom of speech and democracy. The passage emphasizes that Coors violates personal boundaries but also Human Rights. Questions asked include sexuality, committing crimes, having affairs, and whether the person has ever participated in any type of protest. The paper clarifies the reasons for protesting was a great way to increase awareness among those unfamiliar with Coors' systemic classism. The paper’s emphasis on human dignity rather than wages was a great point to bring up because it demonstrates the deeper and twisted discrimination faced, not only by minorities but by any worker. The document motivates workers to use their voices, which then snowballs into a larger national understanding of human and worker rights. It captures the cross-movement solidarity between labor unions and LGBTQ activists. In calling out Coors’ abuses, this manifesto becomes more than a workers’ complaint; it becomes a rallying cry for justice, dignity, and the fundamental right to be treated as a human being, inspiring a broader movement rooted in solidarity and resistance.
Brewery Workers Local 366. Who Is Joe Coors? 1977. Poster. Auraria Library, Denver, CO.
In this poster, we have a “fun facts” sheet of Joe Coors, the president of Coors Brewing Company. The poster was produced and distributed in Colorado to the working-class readers and union members who were interested in learning more about the Coors Boycott and its goals. The printed material was most effective for spreading the message quickly and freely, bypassing the constraints of mainstream media that often diluted or ignored the voices of protestors. The tone was deliberately confrontational and meant to irritate those in power, like Joe Coors, with the hope that public pressure would force accountability. It mentions the lack of employed minorities; only “92 Chicanos, 59 Blacks, 1 Native American, 2 Orientals, and 65 women” were working at Coors, which reflected the company's discriminatory hiring practices. The poster also calls for the workers to work together because it is what most scares Joe Coors: being forced to abandon his anti-union stance. The harsh criticisms, biting sarcasm, and demeaning diction painted Coors in a negative light, deliberately crafting a damaging public image that jeopardized the company's profits. More than just an attack on a corporate figurehead, the poster served as a direct challenge to Coors’ efforts to silence workers, providing protestors with a platform to voice their frustrations without company control or censorship. It also aimed to ignite emotional responses by turning passive readers into active participants in the boycott. Ultimately, the poster stood as a bold act of resistance by calling out the abuse of workers’ rights, the stripping of personal dignity, and the hypocrisy of Coors’ leadership. Words are powerful. Its words weren’t just one-dimensional; they stirred action and gave power back to the people, making it just as effective as any protest on the streets.
United Struggle Press. Don't Mourn, Organize. 1977. Poster. Auraria Library, Denver, CO.
The article published in the United Struggle Press, a newspaper read by mostly the working class, describes the success of the acquitted trials of “The Golden 4”. The trials of the four leaders followed their arrest during a protest against Coors. The “Golden 4” were accused of assaulting strikebreakers, but many believe this was just a tactic used by the police to suppress the protests by eliminating the leaders. The controversial arrests were deemed to be a planned arrest based on the testimony of bystanders. The article highlights the police oppression and immoral tactics used by the company and the police to try to silence the workers. Many supporters of the strike viewed the arrests as politically motivated, meant to tarnish the reputation of the strikers and “drive a wedge between the strikers and their supporters.” However, the four were acquitted of their charges, marking a victory for the union. Their leaders were not criminals; they were heroes of the working class. The coverage of the story in the newspaper directly motivates those reading, “don’t mourn, organize!” The articles exemplify that the corporate power extends beyond the walls of the workplace, but thrives off of systemic racism and anti-union tactics, like those Coors relies on. The Struggle Press included articles about Welfare reform, Civil Rights issues, unionization, and women’s rights; clearly, this publication is meant for those “struggling,” more commonly known as anyone but a white man. Its coverage of the Coors boycott fit naturally within its broader mission to amplify voices fighting against systemic oppression. But thanks to the trial, the strikers and the supporters became closer and “infused greater spirit” into the boycott, creating a bigger blow to Joe Coors’ ego.
AFL-CIO. A Rally Calling for the Boycott of Coors Beer. 1977. Photograph. George Meany Memorial Archives.
The image captured and preserved by the AFL-CIO embodies the diversity of the people supporting and picketing Coors. The contributors of this photo, the AFL-CIO, held an important leadership role in this strike. George Meany, the president of the AFL-CIO at the time, advocated and stood with the Coors workers. Within the crowd, you see both men and women of all ethnic backgrounds, young and old, on strike. This image speaks volumes about the unity and solidarity felt throughout the community after the word had spread of Coors' unjust practices. Within the crowd were likely civil rights activists, labor union members, LGBTQ members, beer drivers, and the Chicano and Black communities. The unlikely cooperation of these diverse groups of people led to a massive mobilization advocating for privacy protections and the end of systemic racism is a powerful example of cross-cultural unity. Almost every single person in the crowd has a poster. Within the sea of posters, some read, “not pasturized”, “democrats support the boycott”, and “Coors strips its employees of dignity and human rights.” The signs centralize the message that the crowd is trying to send to Coors. The alliances formed from this protest eventually led to an interconnectedness between these communities. This photo is more than just a snapshot of a protest—it brings my thesis to life. The success of the Coors Boycott can be connected to the unlikely but powerful cooperation between gay leaders, Chicano activists, and working women. Together, they turned a labor dispute into a much bigger social movement that demanded dignity, rights, and corporate accountability.
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