Hundreds of truck drivers from Sysco Boston are persevering with their strike in opposition to the corporate after negotiations broke down between the Teamsters and New England’s largest wholesale meals distributor.
More than 300 truck drivers from the Plympton warehouse are on strike, strolling the picket line as they name for higher pay and advantages.
Negotiations between the Teamsters and Sysco broke down Wednesday night after greater than six hours of talks.
“Our members work hard, but they must be compensated with a secure and quality retirement and affordable health care,” Sean O’Brien, Teamsters normal president, stated in an announcement. “No longer will we enable this firm to churn staff after which throw them away.
“They are going to continue to stand up and fight for what they deserve,” he added. “We have a saying on the strike line: one day longer, one day stronger.”
Sysco Corporation stated it had reached an “impasse” with the Teamsters, Local 653 in Boston and Local 317 in Syracuse.
“Despite best efforts to bring the current work stoppage to an end, including offering industry leading wages, the Teamsters’ leadership has effectively rejected the companies’ offers and denied their members the right to vote on the proposed offer,” Sysco stated in an announcement.
The firm warned that the strike will “disrupt thousands of small businesses, hospitals may struggle to get their orders, children who rely on schools for their meals may not get them and the nation’s supply chain will be further stressed.”
The Massachusetts drivers make about $110,000 yearly on common, Sysco stated in a earlier assertion, and that it has provided a wage improve of 25% over the lifetime of the contract. The Houston-based firm additionally stated it’s providing extra well being care choices at decrease prices in comparison with the present plan.
A latest Sysco report confirmed that just about half of its workers have been of their job for lower than a yr, in accordance with the Teamsters.
“The company’s current offer is just another corporate bait and switch,” stated Tom Erickson, director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division. “What they say they are giving in wage increases, they are taking away in employee paid health care costs.”
The Sysco warehouse in Plympton has been working across the clock with third-party drivers.
Herald wire companies had been used on this report.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”