Union: Sysco Drivers End Strike Without Deal, Goal Accomplished

(KNSI) – Striking drivers in St. Cloud are back on the job after a short strike. Around 50 foodservice drivers employed by Sysco Western MN in St. Cloud returned to work on Friday after walking off the job on Wednesday night.

The newly formed Teamsters Local 120 union members say the strike was over unfair labor practices, mainly wages and benefits. Teamsters Local 120 Vice President Grant Bendix says no agreement was reached, but the drivers felt it was time to end the strike.

“The drivers really care about their customers as they deliver to schools, they deliver to movie theaters, Mom and Pop restaurants as well as some, larger restaurant chains. They get to know these people and these are a lot of family owned businesses in central Minnesota. Our goal in this was to wake Sysco up with minimal impact on the customers.”

Bendix says the drivers had a lot of support during the strike.

“A group of Sysco drivers in Chicago sent them pizza. People are stoped at the line giving them encouragement, people that they’d never met before, just random people from the community. It was really, really empowering for them and really cool for us to see the community stand behind these guys.”

A press release from the union says workers accomplished their goal of holding company management accountable for alleged labor law violations, but the fight may not be over. Bendix says they’ll give Sysco time to respond and come to their sense and treat the employee the right way.

“We’re going to give them the opportunity to do that and if they choose not to, if these issues are still ongoing, then we’ll address them as we see fit and as we need to.”

The workers are asking for an increase in wages and benefits, arguing that they’re grossly underpaid compared to drivers who do the same work at the Sysco facility in Mounds View. Bendix says St. Cloud drivers are paid 49% less than their counterparts in the Twin Cities.

Bendix says they asked for a 49% increase as a starting point but haven’t received a counter offer. This is the first time Sysco and the union have negotiated a contract since the drivers joined Local Teamsters 120 last year.

KNSI News has reached out to Sysco for comment.

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