(MONROE, Mich.) – Teamsters who work at Sysco’s Sygma distribution facility in Monroe went on strike yesterday to protest the company’s violation of U.S. labor laws that protect workers’ rights. 

Sysco [NYSE: SYY] is the largest broadline foodservice corporation in America. It had $60 billion in sales worldwide in 2019. The 120 drivers in Monroe voted to join Teamsters Local Union 337 in January, 2019 but have not yet been able to negotiate a first contract with the company.

“Our members went on strike today as a wake-up call to Sycso that its worker abuse will not be tolerated,” said Todd Lince, President of Teamsters Local 337. “Sysco management forced workers to remove their union stickers, and also called for the union stewards to be drug tested, which is clearly retaliation for their union activity. This is illegal and our members won’t stand for it.”

“Sysco has a pattern of worker abuse that is undeniable,” said Steve Vairma, Teamsters International Vice President and Director of the Teamsters’ Warehouse Division, “From targeting stewards, to threats of termination for forming a union. The workers in Detroit are the most recent group to tell Sysco they’re not willing to take the abuse anymore. It’s time the company chooses to listen.”

The Teamsters represent more than 10,000 warehouse workers, drivers and maintenance workers at 53 of Sysco and Sysco-Sygma’s full broadline food distributions centers across the United States. 

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

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