Teamsters Local 853 members at SYSCO Foods in San Francisco were ground zero for the industry—the first food-service group in the Bay Area to unionize. Their stand set the tone for many others. Since that first SYSCO contract, UNFI, Tony’s Fine Foods, VISTAR, US Foods, and Performance Food Group have all come under contract with Teamsters Local 853.
So when these 853 members came up on its first contract since COVID, they were ready to set another record, a record befitting their place in union history in the Bay Area.
Their first step was commitment as a unified group. In September, they authorized a strike if needed.
A win-win regional contract approach
Before negotiations commenced, SYSCO in Reno and Sacramento were also coming up on the expiration of their contracts. And so Teamsters Local 853, 137, and 533 banded together, under the guidance of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, to pursue the first regional contract that would cover all three locals. This is a classic win-win for all involved. For the Teamsters, the greater our numbers, the more leverage and authority we have to seek improvements for our members. SYSCO also wins, having one group to bargain with, thereby reducing the potential disruptions of three complex union contracts working separately to secure three separate contracts.
The sticking points
There were many sticking points on the way. Job safety was a paramount issue identified during negotiations that almost derailed the contract. Also, a show of force to go to the mat was organized after their strike authorization vote.
Then, a first vote was held after Safety concerns were addressed and incorporated into the contract. 👎 But the first vote did not pass. 👎 There were still some wage issues that were not satisfactory. So the company asked to get back to the table to revisit wages.
Success
👍The second vote passed by a more than 2 to 1 margin. 👍 The result! The richest and first regional contract in the Country. All because this groundbreaking group pushed the company to its limits, was confident in their demands, and stayed unified to get it.
“I’m very proud of what SYSCO Teamsters accomplished with this contract,” said Teamsters Vice President and Business Agent Ray Torres. “I felt honored to stand shoulder to shoulder with these members during this groundbreaking contract.” “I hope these members fully recognize the unity, determination, and communication it took to put it together.”
“This is a great win for these members who have seen so much over their years of service,” said Steve Beck, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 853. “To know that they have worked hard for what they wanted, fought hard, and achieved their goal is the Teamster way.”
The credit goes to the entire team
Shout out to the members of the negotiating committee who kept everyone unified. Thank you to those who give all that extra effort for their coworkers. Andy Gonzalez, Joe Silva, Reggie Knighten, Rod Melfati, and Marco Ornelas.
Finally, BIG shouts out to: Tom Erickson, IBT director of the Warehouse Division, who helped guide us through this multi-local contract, Russ Butler, principal officer of Teamsters Local 137 in Sacramento, and to Chris Fuqua, Vice president of Teamsters Local 533 in Reno, Nevada. It was an incredible team effort.
