Teamsters
Vestis Teamsters in Iowa Ratify New Contracts
(IOWA) – Teamsters drivers and plant workers at several Vestis facilities throughout Iowa have overwhelmingly ratified collective bargaining agreements for their respective job classifications. The 120 drivers are represented by Teamsters Locals 90, 120, 238, and 554. The 58 plant workers are represented by Locals 238 and 554.
“Vestis Teamsters in Iowa continue to raise the bar for contracts throughout the laundry industry,” said Rocco Calo, Director of the Teamsters Industrial Trades Division. “Winning strong contract after strong contract just goes to show that Teamsters never waiver when fighting for our members. From Sioux City to Waterloo and all facilities in between, Vestis Teamsters are providing essential laundry and linen services for businesses, hospitals, and restaurants across the state and deserve the best possible contract that rewards them for their work.”
The new three-year contracts include wage increases, 401(k) language with employer contributions, and protected health care premiums throughout the life of the contract for both groups of workers.
“The hard work that went into this contract cannot be overstated,” said Tom Harms, a route service representative at Vestis. “We could not be more excited to have new benefits for commission-based drivers, a solidified pay structure for sick and vacation time, and we were able to maintain our current health care premiums. We are proud of this contract and look forward to the next three years.”
“Because of our union, we continue to make gains with each new contract,” said Theresa Muhe, a 36-year Teamster and Vestis plant worker. “As long as we stick together and stay strong, we will continue to prosper in future contracts.”
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
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Statement on the Passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters sends its deepest condolences to the family of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., a pillar in the civil rights and labor movements for more than 50 years.
Rev. Jackson understood the bond between civil and workplace rights and supported Teamsters in all industries in the fight for dignity and respect on the job. Rev. Jackson stood proudly with Teamsters during contentious contract campaigns, including the 1997 UPS national strike and with United Airlines mechanics in 2016. In 2011, he spoke at Teamsters Local 413 in Columbus, Ohio, in support of unionization and against right-to-work legislation.
Rev. Jackson will be remembered for his tireless commitment to equality in the workplace and society at-large. The Teamsters Union mourns his loss but celebrates his life.
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Sysco Teamsters in Chicago and Montana Authorize Strike
(WASHINGTON) – More than 500 Sysco drivers and warehouse workers in Chicago and Montana, jointly represented by five Teamsters locals, have voted by a 99.5 percent margin to authorize a strike. The workers are demanding wage increases, stronger benefits, and improved working conditions that meet or exceed the standards already set by thousands of Teamsters across the company.
“Every day, drivers like us are the reason Sysco is able to deliver for its customers,” said Alen Hukic, a driver at Sysco and a member of Teamsters Local 710 in Chicago. “Management needs to take our demands seriously and provide a contract that allows us to take care of ourselves and our families.”
Sysco is one of the largest and most profitable food service providers in the United States. In 2025, the company posted net profits of $1.8 billion. Sysco Teamsters in Chicago and Montana are demanding a contract that reflects their critical role in the company’s success and Sysco’s strong financial position.
“We’re asking for a fair and reasonable contract that reflects the massive profits this company generates every year because of our labor,” said Sean Krebs, a warehouse worker at Sysco and member of Teamsters Local 190 in Montana. “None of us want to be on the strike line, but if Sysco fails to offer a fair agreement, we will have no choice but to withhold our labor.”
The Teamsters represent more than 13,000 Sysco workers nationwide across the company and its subsidiaries. Over the past year, Sysco Teamsters have secured a series of strong agreements including the first-ever regional contract ratified in December. Last week, Sysco Teamsters in Spokane, Wash., ratified a lucrative new contract that delivered a 34 percent wage increase, reduced health care costs, and higher pension contributions.
“Sysco is going to put a strong agreement on the table, or Teamsters will be out in the streets,” said Tom Erickson, Director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division. “Teamsters at Sysco are the reason this company records such large profit margins. It’s time for Sysco to come to terms on a fair contract — or deal with the consequences.”
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
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US Foods Teamsters Overwhelmingly Ratify New Contract
(FISHERS, Ind.) – Following a credible strike threat, more than 200 drivers and warehouse workers at US Foods in Indiana, represented by Teamsters Local 135, have overwhelmingly ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement. The contract is the direct result of members’ readiness to strike, which forced US Foods management to agree to a strong, comprehensive deal that delivers significantly higher wages, a defined benefit pension, protections against automation, and safer working conditions.
“This contract is the result of the militancy and unity of our members, and it will hold management accountable,” said Dustin Roach, President of Local 135. “Our members held their ground, and they won a contract that raises standards and protects their future.”
The new agreement delivers a 26 percent wage increase, secures first-ever pension benefits for workers who were previously stuck with a company 401(k), expands health care coverage, establishes protections against unchecked automation, and creates enforceable load standards to improve safety and working conditions for drivers.
“We stood strong together and fought for what we believe in and what we deserve,” said Terrell Saunders, a warehouse worker and member of Local 135. “We secured the best agreement we have seen at US Foods that includes better wages, pension, and some of the strongest contract language we’ve ever had at this company. We are all proud to be Teamsters, and US Foods knows it.”
US Foods has a market capitalization of over $19 billion, making it one of the largest and most profitable food service distributors in the country. The Teamsters represent more than 5,500 US Foods workers nationwide. US Foods Teamsters represented by Local 135 deliver to customers across Indiana and into Louisville, supplying hundreds of local restaurants, major universities, and critical hospital systems.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
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Teamsters Renew Demand For Passage Of Delivery Protection Act In New York City
(NEW YORK) – Amazon Teamsters and their allies gathered at New York City Hall today to call for passage of the Delivery Protection Act during its introduction for the 2026 City Council session.
The groundbreaking legislation, authored by Councilmember Tiffany Cabán, would protect workers and communities by requiring last-mile delivery facilities in New York City to be licensed and directly employ their staff. Amazon utilizes a corrupt third-party model called the Delivery Service Partner (DSP) program, which allows the company to deny liability and control workers without the financial or legal responsibilities of a direct employer.
“Amazon has pocketed billions off the backs of workers yet dares to claim that the people delivering their packages don’t work for them,” said Randy Korgan, Director of the Teamsters Amazon Division. “The Delivery Protection Act is desperately needed to end this trillion-dollar company’s exploitation of its workers in New York City. When the Teamsters and our union allies succeed here, we will take this fight to cities and localities across the country.”
“We’re confident that New York is going to be the first city in the country to get this done,” said Thomas Gesualdi, President of Teamsters Joint Council 16. “We’re in a new era of politics in the five boroughs — one where workers and their advocates are in the driver’s seat — and this bill embodies that spirit.”
The legislation has already secured majority support for a second time, including the support of Council Speaker Julie Menin, setting the stage for a hearing in the Workforce Protection Committee and a floor vote.
“Professional drivers like me power New York’s economy, but every day we have to deal with dangerous working conditions and an employer that acts like we don’t even work for them,” said Luc Rene, an Amazon driver at the DBK4 location in Queens. “The only way to stop Amazon’s abuse of us and the communities we serve is to pass the Delivery Protection Act.”
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at facebook.com/teamsters.
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Carmeuse Lime and Stone Teamsters Ratify New Contract
(GARY, Ind.) — A group of 60 workers at Carmeuse Lime and Stone in Indiana, represented by Teamsters Local 142, have overwhelmingly ratified a strong new contract. The three-year agreement delivers substantial wage increases, protects benefits, and includes zero concessions from members.
“Our members have made this company a global leader in the calcium-based mineral industry,” said Jeff Gideon, Vice President of Local 142. “They play a critical role in processing the limestone and lime products essential for steelmaking, environmental treatment, construction, and agriculture. This contract ensures that their compensation reflects the vital nature of that work.”
This unified group of Teamsters rejected the first two contract offers and held the line for an agreement that they deserved. They stood firm and have now ratified a strong new contract that honors their work.
“I am so proud of my union brothers for sticking together. Thank you to Local 142 for having our backs and negotiating a fair contract that we can be proud of,” said Tony Kostelnick, a steward and 37-year Teamster.
Teamsters Local 142 represents 3,200 workers in a wide variety of industries throughout Northwest Indiana. For more information, go to teamsters142.org.
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Teamsters Sue UPS for Breach of National Contract
(WASHINGTON) – The Teamsters Union filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against United Parcel Service today, demanding the company shut down its plan to roll out a second illegal buyout scam targeting UPS Teamsters drivers. The package giant has told the union it aims to announce the Driver Choice Program (DCP) this week.
In court filings with the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, the Teamsters detailed at least six violations of its National Master Agreement by UPS in the rollout of the buyout program, including direct dealing of new contracts with workers, elimination of union jobs when UPS contractually agreed to establish more positions, and erosion of the rights and privileges of union shop stewards, among other charges.
Since late January, the Teamsters issued more than 57 requests for information and documents to UPS related to its plans for a revised driver buyout. UPS CEO Carol Tomé and other corporate executives ignored the union’s requests and appear to have developed the DCP behind closed doors in direct violation of the UPS Teamsters agreement. The national contract was overwhelmingly ratified in 2023 to protect hundreds of thousands of full- and part-time workers.
“For the second time in six months, UPS has proven it doesn’t care about the law, has no respect for its contract with the Teamsters, and is determined to try to screw our members out of their hard-earned money,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “If Carol Tomé has buyer’s remorse for the historic, legally binding contract she signed with rank-and-file Teamsters, that’s her problem. Our union will not allow UPS to inflate its earnings reports on the backs of Teamsters families. We’ve given too much to grow and sustain this company, and we will not be sold short. UPS must dismantle its illegal buyout program and resolve its contract violations in the courts, or the Teamsters will see this greedy corporation in the streets.”
If implemented, UPS’s DCP would give drivers a one-time lump sum payment in exchange for Teamsters legally committing to never work for UPS again, to waive their rights to union representation, and to sacrifice a career’s worth of strong union wages, employer-paid health care, and guaranteed retirement benefits.
The scope of UPS’s updated buyout program is much broader than the payoff presented to workers late last summer, when UPS marketed payouts to more tenured drivers nearing retirement. The earlier program, which UPS called the Driver Voluntary Separation Program (DVSP), was widely rejected by Teamsters drivers nationwide, many of whom took to social media to shred and set fire to the insulting financial package offered by UPS to leave the company.
Multiple Teamsters local unions have filed grievances against UPS over the contract violations inherent in its DVSP program. Those grievances are expected to enter binding arbitration next month following a National Grievance Committee hearing between the union and the company.
The DCP, as noted in the union’s lawsuit, would be offered to all drivers at UPS regardless of length of service and would do irreparable damage to the Teamsters and its right to representation. The letter of separation that workers would be forced to sign by management to complete enrollment in the program would be irrevocable, further damaging the union or any individual worker’s ability to grieve or arbitrate the terms of separation.
In its motions before the court on Monday, the Teamsters requested an injunction to prevent the rollout of UPS’s DCP and a stay on further action by the company to offer such incentive programs until an arbitrator’s ruling on the pending DVSP violations. As the Teamsters noted in its filing in Massachusetts, the DVSP and DCP programs are unmistakably similar.
“UPS’s latest DCP scam is more than a contract violation — it’s an assault on the rule of law and on every member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters,” said General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman. “If UPS is allowed to move forward with this illegal program, it would cause irrevocable harm to our union and a majority of our hardworking members. The Teamsters Union ensured our members rejected UPS’s insulting payoff last year. Unfortunately, UPS continues to reach new levels of greed and corruption that require our fight to continue.”
On Jan. 27, UPS announced it collected more than $8.5 billion in cash during the previous quarter, returned more than $6.4 billion to shareholders, and spent $1 billion on stock buybacks.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
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Teamsters Attorneys Win Just Cause Protections
(SAN FRANCISCO) — For the first time, hundreds of attorneys with the San Francisco Municipal Attorneys Association (MAA) and members of Teamsters Local 856 have won just cause job protections through arbitration.
“This is a huge win for our members, and a great example of not backing down from a big fight,” said Peter Finn, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 856 and Director of the Teamsters Public Services and Health Care Division. “Teamsters attorney Matt Finnegan led this fight, and this win shows what can be accomplished through persistence and smart, tactical, and aggressive advocacy.”
The association is comprised of 500 deputy district attorneys, deputy public defenders, and city attorneys serving the citizens of San Francisco. The members — who affiliated with the Teamsters in 2024 — were at-will employees, meaning they had no job protections designed to insulate them from the political process. On the heels of similar wins in Alameda and San Mateo Counties, this group is the third group of Local 856 public attorneys to win just cause protections.
“This decision corrects a long-standing historical anomaly, finally bringing San Francisco into alignment with the standard employment expectations for public attorneys across California,” said Nathan Quigley, President of the Municipal Attorneys Association. “This change ensures that local public law offices cannot be weaponized for political gain. Public attorneys must be empowered to fulfill their duties based on ethics and the law.”
Teamsters Local 856 is a growing union of over 20,000 working people throughout Northern California and represents over 7,000 public sector members in the region. For more information, visit teamsters856.org.
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Teamsters at Belgioioso Cheese Ratify Contract
(ROCHESTER, N.Y.) – Teamsters at the BelGioioso Cheese facility in Campbell, New York, represented by Teamsters Local 118, have overwhelmingly ratified a new contract that secures higher wages and strengthens job protections. The agreement covers 180 workers responsible for the production, maintenance, and distribution of Polly-O cheeses across the region.
“Our members made it clear they expected a contract that respected their work, and that’s exactly what we achieved,” said Tim Barbeto, President of Teamsters Local 118. “This agreement raises wages, improves benefits, and strengthens the workplace protections our members rely on every day.”
The contract clarifies workplace rules, improves the posting process for line lead positions, limits the use of temporary workers, and strengthens rules around seniority and job assignments.
“This contract protects our jobs and gives us a stronger voice at work,” said Thomas Didas, a steward. “We finally feel respected for the essential role we play in producing and shipping thousands of Polly-O cheese products.”
Teamsters Local 118 proudly represents over 5,000 workers across upstate New York and in Northern Pennsylvania. For more information, go to teamsters118.com.
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Workers at Grecian Delight Kronos Join Teamsters
(GLENDALE HEIGHTS, Ill.) – More than 180 workers at Grecian Delight Kronos have voted to join Teamsters Local 710. The production, warehouse, sanitation, and quality assurance workers are seeking better wages, stronger benefits, and improved working conditions.
“This company tried but failed to block these workers from exercising their federally protected right to form a union,” said Mike Cales, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 710. “Our new members overcame a relentless anti-union campaign, and we look forward to helping them in negotiations to win a strong contract.”
Shippers and receivers at Grecian Delight Kronos have been represented by Local 710 for over 25 years, and the contract protections they enjoy were a major catalyst for the latest organizing effort. With the election now certified, preperations to negotiate a first contract are underway.
“As companies consolidate and squeeze workers harder, more people are realizing they need a real voice on the shop floor,” said Tom Erickson, Director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division. “These workers stood strong, they won, and now they’re ready to bargain for the wages, benefits, and respect they deserve.”
“When Grecian Delight bought Kronos, everything changed for the worse. Only after they learned we were holding a union election did they suddenly pretend to ‘hear our concerns.’ Management hired union busters and did everything they could to stop us from becoming Teamsters, but we succeeded,” said Maria Flores, a worker at Grecian Delight Kronos and a new member of Local 710.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
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