SWEDESBORO and BRIDGEPORT, N.J., Dec. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Teamsters from Locals 628 in Philadelphia and 169 in Elkins Park, Penn. once again refused to cross picket lines at US Foods distribution facilities in Swedesboro and Bridgeport, N.J. yesterday evening.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100127/IBTLOGO)
The sympathy picket lines, which were established by members of Locals 1414 in Philadelphia and 676 in Collingswood, N.J., were in support of an unfair labor practice strike by maintenance workers at US Foods' Streator, Ill. location. That strike began October 30 in response to US Foods' violation of Federal labor laws, including disciplining a Streator employee for being absent while he was in contract negotiations with the company as a member of the bargaining committee for Teamsters Local 722.
Picket line extensions and sympathy pickets have spread to 12 US Foods facilities across the country during the past month. More than 2,000 Teamsters have honored picket lines in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Colorado and Maryland.
At the center of the picket extensions is Mike Vagasky, a member of Local 722 in La Salle, Ill. and a maintenance worker at US Foods in Streator. Vagasky has extended his picketing to warehouses in Bensenville, Ill., St. Louis, Mo., Fishers, Ind. and Englewood, Colo.
"Our members who work at US Foods care about this company and its customers, but they are not willing to cross lawful picket lines," said Teamsters Warehouse Division Director John Williams. "Our members, like the rest of the 99 percent in America, are tired of being bullied and having their rights under federal labor law violated while the private equity firms and other Wall Street bankers in the top one percent destroy their livelihood."
US Foods, which distributes food and related products to restaurants and schools, is owned by private equity giants KKR and CD&R. KKR and CD&R purchased US Foods (then U.S. Foodservice) in 2007. The Teamsters represent approximately 4,000 employees at US Foods at 25 distribution centers throughout the nation.
For more information, visit www.USFoodsWorkers.org and www.flickr.com/photos/usfoodsworkers
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter: @teamsterpower
SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Share this article