eamsters Local 89 Sysco drivers voted overwhelmingly in support of ratifying a new offer from the company, concluding a strike that lasted nearly two weeks. The drivers had joined the Teamsters in 2022 due to issues involving wages, benefits, workplace safety, and destructively long work shifts, and since organizing there’s been a bit of back-and-forth between the workers and the bosses. But thankfully a new contract has been agreed upon and ratified.
As part of this new contract, wages for delivery drivers will immediately increase by over $4, with Shuttle drivers receiving a $5 increase to catch up with the delivery drivers’ pay. Both groups are also promised another $3.50 raise by the end of this five-year contract. In total, by the conclusion of the agreement, Sysco drivers will have received a nearly 35% pay increase.
In addition, while previously drivers were responsible for paying 50% of their health insurance premium, that amount has been reduced to 20%.
Another noteworthy part of the agreement is that the company will hire at least nine additional drivers as soon as possible so as to lessen the workload of current drivers, who have been working double-shifts or longer, with additional stipulations in place that drivers will be paid adequately for any overtime in the future.
To say this is a “big win” for these drivers is an understatement.
Watch the full clip on YouTube for information on additional aspects of this new contract: