About 275 U.S. Foodservice workers, members of Teamsters Local 120, are scheduled to vote April 10 on a contract offer from the company. The local would not comment on the terms of the offer, but said the unit’s elected negotiations committee had issued a recommendation that union members vote to accept the agreement.
Local 120 represents drivers, warehouse workers, mechanics, sanitation workers and office and clerical employees at the restaurant distributor.
On April 3, members of the bargaining unit voted to reject the company’s so-called “final” contract offer, authorizing their elected leaders to call a strike if future negotiations did not yield results.
Local 120 leaders say talks between the two sides initially broke down when U.S. Foodservice insisted union members pay up to 20 percent of their health care insurance premiums – a steep increase from the previous contract, which expired March 31.
Not only was U.S. Foodservice demanding its workers pay more for their health insurance, the company wanted to gut the insurance plan as well, according to Local 120’s Bryan Rademacher.
“The company’s last, best and final offer included significant cuts to the insurance plan, designed to reflect less coverage than what our members currently have right now,” he said.
Rademacher added that U.S. Foodservice does not need concessions to remain economically viable – a point negotiations appear to have proven true.
Rich Fredrick, a driver at U.S. Foodservice for the last 14 years, said he suspects the company was “trying to make up for losses in other divisions on our backs.”
Fredrick and other U.S. Foodservice workers fanned out to restaurants across the metro area, including along Grand Avenue in St. Paul, over the lunch hour April 1. They handed out leaflets to diners warning them of the potential strike.
Dennis Duff, a driver with 25 years experience at U.S. Foodservice, said members of the unit were sticking together.
“There are a lot of people here with families and kids,” Duff said. “People just want to come to work and do their job and get their benefits. We’ve done everything the employer has asked us to do. Why are they doing this to us?”
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About 275 U.S. Foodservice workers, members of Teamsters Local 120, are scheduled to vote April 10 on a contract offer from the company. The local would not comment on the terms of the offer, but said the unit’s elected negotiations committee had issued a recommendation that union members vote to accept the agreement.
Local 120 represents drivers, warehouse workers, mechanics, sanitation workers and office and clerical employees at the restaurant distributor.
On April 3, members of the bargaining unit voted to reject the company’s so-called “final” contract offer, authorizing their elected leaders to call a strike if future negotiations did not yield results.
Local 120 leaders say talks between the two sides initially broke down when U.S. Foodservice insisted union members pay up to 20 percent of their health care insurance premiums – a steep increase from the previous contract, which expired March 31.
Not only was U.S. Foodservice demanding its workers pay more for their health insurance, the company wanted to gut the insurance plan as well, according to Local 120’s Bryan Rademacher.
“The company’s last, best and final offer included significant cuts to the insurance plan, designed to reflect less coverage than what our members currently have right now,” he said.
Rademacher added that U.S. Foodservice does not need concessions to remain economically viable – a point negotiations appear to have proven true.
Rich Fredrick, a driver at U.S. Foodservice for the last 14 years, said he suspects the company was “trying to make up for losses in other divisions on our backs.”
Fredrick and other U.S. Foodservice workers fanned out to restaurants across the metro area, including along Grand Avenue in St. Paul, over the lunch hour April 1. They handed out leaflets to diners warning them of the potential strike.
Dennis Duff, a driver with 25 years experience at U.S. Foodservice, said members of the unit were sticking together.
“There are a lot of people here with families and kids,” Duff said. “People just want to come to work and do their job and get their benefits. We’ve done everything the employer has asked us to do. Why are they doing this to us?”