Latest news with #Teamsters
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Dozens of Breakthru Beverage truck drivers go on strike in Tampa and across the state
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Teamsters went on strike to protest what they said are unfair labor practices at Breakthru Beverage's in Tampa. It's a part of a statewide work stoppage that will also impact the company's operations in places like Fort Myers, Orlando and Tallahassee. From early Tuesday morning through the afternoon, workers were chanting that they are Teamsters and what they want is a fair contract. 'All they really want is a fair day's work for a fair day's pay,' said Brandon Sosnoff, with Teamsters Local 79. 'I've been a driver for the company for the past 10 years, and all they've done is just take stuff from us. That's all they've done in the past. Many, many years, and it's time for us to put a stop on it,' said Yuniel Sancillena, who has been a driver for a decade. Everyone at the union is on strike to demand higher wages as well as better benefits and working conditions. Those behind the wheel said they will protest until they get what they deserve. 'They're laughing at us, and we're going to continue out here, as long as it takes, as long as we've got to be out for, we're going to be out here fighting for what we deserve. Truck drivers deserve better than what they do to us,' Sancillena said. Breakthru is one of the largest alcohol beverage wholesalers in the country, operating in 15 states and Canada. When the drivers got to the negotiating table, they said they were left disappointed. 'The company dropped their last, best, and final offer on us. Essentially, it was just a wage cut. Not increasing health insurance, no retirement benefits. It was just a slap in the face to these drivers, and they said we've got to hit the streets,' Sosnoff said. The drivers said if the strike continues, ramifications will be felt locally and throughout the state. 8 On Your Side's Alessandra Young asked those on strike what the worst-case scenario might be for consumers if the strike continues. 'This is definitely going to be a huge impact when it comes to customers and businesses, they are going to need the product. Obviously, they don't have the manpower to get the product out. Every single driver is going to be out here, no one is going in to move those trucks, unless we get a better contract, and they're going to feel it,' Sancillena said. 'It is going to have a huge impact, because they got a lot of trucks that have got to go out and a lot of products that have to go out and there are many customers that will be waiting on product.' The drivers said they will be out on strike for as long as it takes for them to get the contract they want to see. 8 On Your Side reached out to Breakthru Beverage for a response. 'While we respect the rights of our associates, we are disappointed that our Northern Florida drivers, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, have initiated a strike,' the company wrote in a statement. 'We have contingency plans in place to ensure minimal disruption to the business. We hope to reach a resolution soon and are committed to maintaining an open and transparent dialog with the union. We value all our hard-working associates and always strive to provide them with competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a positive work environment,' Breakthru wrote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
DFA TEAMSTERS VOTE TO AUTHORIZE STRIKES
Work Stoppages Expected to Cause Major Disruptions to Dairy Supply Chain WASHINGTON, June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 1,000 Teamsters have voted to authorize strikes at Dairy Farmers of America (DFA). The workers — members of Teamsters Locals 63, 120, 166, 186, 222, 455, 492, 495, 630, 683, and 952 — are employed at dairy processing and distribution centers in California, Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Utah. "Our demands are clear and simple: protect our work, respect our time, and pay us what we've earned," said Lou Villalvazo, Chairman of the DFA National Bargaining Committee. "DFA can still avoid a strike, but time is running out. Our members are ready to walk." The strike authorization comes as contract negotiations stall over issues including job security, time off, wages, benefits, and workplace safety. A strike at even one or two DFA locations could create major supply chain problems. "We know how much money DFA makes, and we know what we deserve," said Peter Rosales, a Local 630 shop steward at Alta Dena Dairy in the City of Industry, Calif. "This company is only successful because of us, and we take pride in our work. All we're asking for is our fair share." In addition to the company's refusal to bargain a good contract, DFA has been engaging in unfair labor practices (ULPs). By overwhelmingly authorizing a strike at their respective facilities, Teamsters are sending a message to DFA that they are prepared to protest ULPs. Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Contact:Matt McQuaid, (771) 241-0015mmcquaid@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Wall Street Journal
3 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Canadian Pacific Kansas City Gets Ruling for New Collective Bargaining Pacts
Canadian Pacific Kansas City has received a ruling establishing new collective bargaining agreements with two units from the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference. The company said Friday the new four-year contracts include annual wage increases of 3%, effective from Jan. 1, 2024, through Dec. 31, 2027.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Unionized Kroger Drivers in Georgia Strike—What It Could Mean for You
Kroger dates back to 1883, so the brand has been helping Americans find quality groceries for more than a century at this point. Kroger has an upwards of 2,800 stores in 35 states and annual sales of more than $132.5 billion, according to the company, making it one of the world's largest retailers. Now, a development at a Kroger fulfillment center could cause some issues in the Kroger camp if it's not addressed. Unionized drivers at Kroger's Forest Park Fulfillment Center near Atlanta have voted to authorize a strike, according to the group. While the strike has not yet been scheduled, union leaders say they're ready to move forward if negotiations don't improve. According to Atlanta News First, "If a deal is not reached, the drivers are prepared to go on strike, which could lead to bare shelves at stores across the southeast and potentially higher prices." However, it's unclear how the potential strike could impact Kroger's ability to keep items in stock or change prices, so that's not a guarantee. "Kroger needs to stop dragging its feet and deliver a real offer that respects the work we do," Marion Jackson, a Kroger driver and Local 528 shop steward, said in a statement. "This company can more than afford what we're asking for. We are ready to strike if Kroger doesn't start taking our demands seriously." Atlanta News First also reports that the Teamsters said both sides will start negotiations again on June 9. "We don't want to take the next step. We don't want to strike. Nobody wants to be out of work at all, but we just want Kroger to come to the table with a fair equitable contract," driver Marion Jackson added, per Atlanta News First. Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta president Rev. Shanan E. Jones also issued a statement about the strike. "The men and women who drive and deliver Kroger's products are the same ones driving Kroger's profits," Jones said via the Teamsters. "They deserve dignity, respect, and their fair share."Unionized Kroger Drivers in Georgia Strike—What It Could Mean for You first appeared on Men's Journal on May 30, 2025
CTV News
6 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
B.C. gravel truckers' union suing Conservative MLA over alleged defamation
Langley-Abbotsford MLA Harman Bhangu is seen in this photo from the Legislative Assembly of B.C. website. ( A union that represents gravel truck drivers in B.C. is suing one of its members – Langley-Abbotsford MLA Harman Bhangu – over comments he made on the floor of the legislature and reposted on his social media accounts. In a notice of civil claim filed in Vancouver on Monday, Teamsters Local 213 alleges that a speech Bhangu gave on the house floor May 8 – during which he said, among other things, that the union is engaged in 'blatant corruption and systemic nepotism' – was defamatory. Comments made on the floor of a provincial legislature are protected by 'parliamentary privilege,' meaning they cannot be the subject of a defamation lawsuit. The union argues that Bhangu's publication of videos of his speech on multiple social media platforms, as well as the comments he made in writing in those posts, give rise to legitimate defamation claims. 'The allegations made by Mr. Bhangu are false, malicious and defamatory,' said Tony Santavenere, the union's business manager and secretary-treasurer, in a brief statement to CTV News about the lawsuit. 'Those comments have caused damage to our organization's character and reputation. We are confident that legal proceedings will affirm our position.' Bhangu has not filed a response to the union's claim in court, nor has he responded to requests for comment from CTV News. The allegations against him have not been proven. Bhangu's allegedly defamatory comments centre around the union's dispatching practices for construction projects that are subject to the Community Benefits Agreement. Examples of such projects, according to the union's lawsuit, include the Pattullo Bridge replacement and Vancouver's Broadway SkyTrain extension. In its lawsuit, the union says the CBA 'delineates clear rules for direct contractor hiring of owner operators by contractors, as well as the dispatch of owner operators by the plaintiff.' 'If trucks are required beyond the contractors' employee complement, then the employers on CBA projects must submit a dispatch request to the union,' the document reads. 'To fill the dispatch request, the plaintiff will then call through their availability list of owner operator members. Once that list is exhausted, the plaintiff will call a list of individual owner operators who themselves have a collective agreement with the plaintiff called the material supply agreement (the 'Material Supply List'). The owner operators on the Material Supply List act as employers in their own right and possess additional trucks with hired drivers. Once the Material Supply List is exhausted, the union then calls brokers to fill the dispatch request.' In his speech in the house, which is reproduced in the lawsuit, Bhangu alleged that the union is not following this procedure, and that it is engaged in corruption and nepotism instead. 'What has happened is that they've created their own internal dispatch system where they pick and choose,' he said, according to the court document. 'There are people who literally got their memberships a couple of months ago, and they're going out before members who've been there for 20, 30 years.' He later added that 'it always seems to be that a certain select few brokers are the ones who get the call-outs,' and noted that Amneet Sekhon, a business agent for the union, is the son of Pardaman 'Paul' Sekhon, who owns a company that acts as a broker for larger contractors. In addition to alleging that Bhangu's claims are 'false, malicious and defamatory,' the union's lawsuit claims that Bhangu has made such allegations about the union on his social media accounts 'on several occasions' since 2019. No other posts beyond the ones containing video of his speech are cited in the notice of civil claim. The lawsuit alleges that Bhangu's comments have 'greatly injured' the union's reputation, and seeks general, aggravated, specific and punitive damages, as well as special costs and an injunction prohibiting Bhangu and 'his agents, servants or otherwise from further posting or publishing the alleged or any similar libel.'
