On Saturday, March 14, Teamsters Local 104 warehouse members in Phoenix, Ariz. attended a volunteer training focused on internal and external organizing.

Members from Safeway, Atlas, Young’s Market, Golden State Foods, Sysco and US Foods gathered at the Local 104 union hall where they heard from Shelley Allsup, Teamsters Warehouse Division Director for the Southwest Region, who updated members on the possible Sysco-US Foods acquisition and pending Safeway-Albertson’s acquisition. Allsup provided additional updates related to other areas of the Warehouse Division as well.

Teamsters Organizer Richard Ford gave presentations on internal and external organizing, along with Kathy Tiihonen, Local 104 Organizer.

Ford was able to draw upon recent successful experiences in organizing within the warehouse industry. He worked on the successful Sysco Atlanta campaign, organizing more than 400 new warehouse workers into the union last December. Ford is now working on another Sysco organizing drive in Grand Rapids, Mich.  

“Local 104 is gearing up to organize Albertson’s and internally organize our members within the Division to stand together to protect and preserve our warehouse contracts, building density by targeting the non-union competition,” said Tiihonen.

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