Teamsters Continue Strike for Justice at US Foods

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International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Nov 16, 2011, 02:27 ET

Thousands of Workers Have Honored Picket Lines at US Foods Distribution Facilities

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than 2,000 Teamster workers have honored picket lines in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Colorado and Maryland that resulted from a strike that began Sunday, Oct. 30 at a US Foods warehouse in Streator, Ill. The strike extensions and pickets have continued over the past three weeks at 12 US Foods facilities across the country.

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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. The strike began in response to the company's violations of Federal labor laws, which include 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.

"An injury against one is an injury against all," said Teamsters Warehouse Division Director John Williams. "Teamsters across the country will not stand for the kind of bullying behavior US Foods is demonstrating."

Vagasky extended his picketing to Bensenville, Ill., last Friday at 2 a.m., which was honored by members of Local 705. On Monday, Vagasky picketed at the US Foods warehouse where he works in Streator, Ill. His picket line was honored by fellow members of Teamsters Local 722 for 20 hours. Vagasky also extended picket lines in US Foods warehouses in St. Louis, Mo., Fishers, Ind. and Englewood, Colo.

In Severn, Md., nearly 300 members of Teamsters Local 355 and 570 refused to cross the picket line at US Foods yesterday afternoon, honoring a sympathy picket established by Teamsters Local 311 in support of Vagasky and other custodial workers at the US Foods Streator facility.

US Foods, which distributes food and related products to restaurants, military bases and hospitals, is owned by private equity giants KKR and CD&R. KKR and CD&R purchased US Foods (then U.S. Foodservice) in 2007, then saddled US Foods with approximately $5 billion in debt.

"After KKR and CD&R purchased US Foods, they have done nothing but bully, harass and intimidate its workers," Williams said. "These private equity companies are part of the top 1 percent who are destroying jobs all over America. Our members are part of the 99 percent and refuse to stand for this kind of economic and social injustice."

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, including more than 240,000 public service employees. Visit www.teamster.org for more information and follow us on Twitter @teamsterpower.

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters