Sysco Teamster, Will Buff, talks about the power of his Teamsters contract.

Our union bargaining team meets at the Tukwila hall during contract negotiations with Sysco.

Great news for Teamsters in the food service industry! This weekend our members at Sysco voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new 3-year contract. The agreement provides annual wage increases, retirement security, and affordable health care for over 200 Local 117 members and their families.

“Our negotiations committee worked incredibly hard to achieve this agreement,” said John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters 117 and the lead negotiator for the union. “Together with last year’s contract at US Foods, this agreement sets the standard for food service contracts across the country.”

Getting to a deal was far from easy. Sysco is a massive multinational food service conglomerate, the largest broadline food distributor in the world. The company has made life difficult for Teamsters in other parts of the country.  

Earlier this year, Local 117 members showed solidarity with Teamsters in Oklahoma where the company fired several shop stewards. In Missouri, Sysco employees established an unfair labor practice picket line at the end of 2017 to protest alleged violations of federal labor law.

Here in the Northwest, the group’s unity and resolve helped beat back proposed concessions at the bargaining table. The group sent a powerful message to the company when they voted unanimously to authorize a strike several weeks ago.

“We went into these negotiations with clear goals and expectations,” said Rowan Griffin, a shop steward on our union bargaining team.  “John Scearcy’s skills as a negotiator are undeniable. We are lucky to have such strong leadership in our union.”

"We were successful because we have strong leadership and solid member participation."

Will Buff, a rank-and-file veteran of several Sysco negotiations, reiterated that point. “We were successful because we have strong leadership and solid member participation. There was trust between our negotiations team and our union’s leadership like never before.”

“Our members take pride in their work and know their value,” Scearcy said. “They stuck together and fought to win a contract that reflects the important service they provide to families who rely on meals at hospitals, schools, daycare centers, and nursing homes across our region.”

Sysco Teamsters in front of our union hall in Tukwila after the strike authorization vote. 

There was not a single no vote in the house.  All Teamster drivers and warehouse workers who packed the union hall for the Sysco meeting on Saturday cast their vote to authorize a strike.

The unanimous strike vote sends a clear message to the company that the group is not backing down in their fight for fairness.

The company came into negotiations with a substandard proposal across the board and have taken some actions that we are investigating as potential violations of federal labor law.

“Teamsters at Sysco in Seattle are prepared to strike for fair treatment and to protect their livelihoods,” said John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters 117 and the lead negotiator for the union. “Our members work incredibly hard to supply safe food service products to schools, restaurants, and hospitals across our region. The company needs to recognize them for their labor.”

Negotiations between Sysco and our union got underway in July, with the contract set to expire on September 1. No extension agreement has been signed.

In other parts of the country, Sysco has been trampling on the rights of workers. In recent months, Local 117 members have participated in Days of Action to show solidarity with Teamsters in Oklahoma where the company has fired multiple shop stewards and tried to break the union. Late last year, Sysco Teamsters in Missouri established an unfair labor practice picket line to protest alleged violations of federal labor law.

We are hopeful that when Sysco returns to the negotiations table, they will bargain in good faith. We will keep you updated as soon as we have more information.

"It's Our Union - And We'll Fight For It!" That's what Teamsters at Sysco are saying.

Today Local 117 members took part in a National Day of Action. The group of drivers and warehouse workers wore solidarity stickers & put signs in their vehicles in support of our Brothers & Sisters at Local 866 in Oklahoma where the company has fired two shop stewards & are trying to break the union.

The show of unity and support of fellow Teamsters across the country comes just a few weeks before contract negotiations with Sysco kick off this summer.

Our members are ready to fight for a contract that respects the critical work they do to house and supply food services products throughout our region.

Check out this video of our Shop Steward at US Foods, Richard Milestone, talk about his new contract at US Foods:

Members at US Foods voting on their new contract at the IBEW Hall in Tacoma. 

Teamsters who work at US Foods voted overwhelmingly yesterday afternoon to ratify a new 4-year contract. 

"It takes care of our kids...It's absolutely fantastic."

The agreement covers 128 drivers and warehouse workers who operate out of the US Foods facility in Fife as well as members of three other Local Unions.

"This is an industry-leading contract that provides strong, family wages, excellent health and welfare benefits, and retirement security for our members and their families," said John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters 117. "Our bargaining committee did a tremendous job."

Secretary-Treasurer Scearcy headed up the negotiations that involved four Teamster Locals - Locals 117, 162, 483, and 690.

"This is a really good contract," said Richard Milestone, a 33-year member and Shop Steward. "It takes care of our kids, we've got four more years of good quality medical, four more years of good quality pension. It's absolutely fantastic."

Teamsters at US Foods house and deliver food service products to restaurants, hospitals, daycare centers, and retirement homes throughout our region.

Members of our Union bargaining committee that negotiated the contract proposal with US Foods. 

It's a busy weekend coming up. We've got hundreds of Stewards coming into town from all across the state for our annual Shop Steward Seminar and Appreciation Day. About 270 are expected to gather at the Washington State Convention Center starting at 7:30 A.M. on Saturday. 

Today, DOC Shop Stewards will be meeting to discuss strategies for getting our DOC contract funded.

To top it off, we've got demands meetings for our members in the grocery industry who work at SuperValu and a US Foods contract ratification vote on Sunday!

The US Foods vote will be held at the IBEW Hall in Tacoma (3049 S 36th) at 1 P.M.  

John Scearcy, our Union's Secretary-Treasurer and the lead negotiator in bargaining, will be presenting the offer. Members will have an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the proposal before the vote.

Local 117 members at the Sysco warehouse in Kent send solidarity and encouragement to their Brothers and Sisters in Spokane.

Members of Teamsters 117 who work in the food service industry are sending messages of solidarity to their Brothers and Sisters who work at the Sysco warehouse in Spokane.

The Spokane warehouse group is fighting to win their Union and become members of Teamsters Local 690. A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election is scheduled for this Thursday, March 2.

"I stand with my Brothers and Sisters in Spokane to have a voice at work."

Last night, dozens of our members at Food Services of America and the Sysco in Kent shared photos with signs that read, "This Teamster stands with the Spokane Sysco warehouse" and "Vote YES!" Many offered words of encouragement:

“I have been at the bargaining table and have seen first-hand what this Company has proposed and would implement if we were not Union here in Seattle," said James Borsum, a Teamster 117 member who works for Sysco in Seattle. "I stand with my Brothers and Sisters in Spokane to have a voice at work.” 

Yesterday, Sysco sent a letter to their employees' homes trying to convince them to vote against the Union.

"These kinds of tactics are typically used to try to intimidate employees and frighten family members," said John Scearcy, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117. "Sysco should refrain from this kind of ugly campaigning, respect the democratic process and their employees."

Check out more solidarity with Spokane photos on our Facebook page here.

Solidarity with our brothers and sisters on strike at US Foods in Phoenix! The news came in from the IBT today:

US Foods Forces Phoenix Teamsters to Launch Unfair Labor Practice Strike

Teamsters Local 104 members with US Foods took up unfair labor practice pickets today, charging the nation’s second-largest foodservice provider with bargaining in bad faith and discriminating against its union workforce as they attempt to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement.

More than 200 Phoenix warehouse workers, drivers and mechanics have been working without a contract for months as they attempt to bargain a fair contract that provides affordable health care and fundamental job protections. US Foods is under investigation for violations of federal labor law including disciplining workers for union activity, refusing to hire workers for their union affiliation, and denying workers access to their representatives, among others.

“US Foods’ disrespect for its workers who provide a vital service throughout this state is unacceptable,” said Andy Marshall, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 104. “After 18 bargaining sessions, it appears this company is unwilling to reach an agreement that would restore labor peace and service to its loyal customers.

“The work these men and women do touches virtually every Arizona family—making sure schools are able to serve breakfast and lunch each day; that hospital patients receive meals while they recover; and that restaurants are stocked and thriving,” Marshall said. “It’s time for US Foods to get serious about an agreement that protects these hardworking men and women and the customers they serve.”