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July 15, 2025

Today in 1959

 Half-million steelworkers began what is to become a 116-day strike that shutters nearly every steel mill in the country. The strike occurred over management's demand that the union give up a contract clause which limited management's ability to change the number of workers assigned to a task or to introduce new work rules or machinery which would result in reduced hours or numbers of employees. The strike's affects persuaded President Eisenhower to invoke the back-to-work provision of the Taft-Hartley Act. The union sued to have the Act declared unconstitutional, but the Supreme Court upheld the law. The union eventually retained the contract clause and won minimal wage increases. The strike led to significant importation of foreign steel for the first time in U.S. history, which replaced the domestic steel industry in the long run. 

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SYSCO/USFoods National Day of Action
Updated On: Apr 25, 2014

(L-R) Buisness Agent Marcus Smith, Sysco driver Dan Heitzer, Business Agent Dan Taylor, UPS steward Mike Petro, at Sysco's facility in Jessup, Md.

On April 24, Sysco and US Foods workers distributed information to our colleagues across the U.S. during our second "National Day of Action."

Bright-colored fliers provide information about the "SyscoUSFworkers" Facebook page and how to take the worker survey.

"It's important that all Sysco and US  Foods employees – whether or not they are union members – stay informed as the merger process goes forward," said Steve Vairma, Teamsters International Vice President and Warehouse Division Director. "The Teamsters want to protect jobs, and the best way to stay protected is for all employees at Sysco and US Foods to work together."

"I have 20 more years before I can retire from the job but if we close down and I have to go looking for a job, that'll add seven more years," said Doug Robinson, a US Foods mechanic and Local 355 Teamster. "If we end up over at Sysco, the mechanics there are non-union. We're in the Local's benefits plan, which is great. The US Foods non-union plans are not as good as ours. There's a lot of uncertainty right now with this merger and not knowing what's going to happen to our jobs. It helps that we can be informed about what's going on."

Sysco and US Foods workers have been posting pictures and comments on the "SyscoUSFworkers" Facebook page. (A direct link is also on our home page.)

And, if you haven't taken the survey yet, do it now!

Above right, Buisness Agent Jim Deene with US Foods driver Joe Schwabline at the US Foods facility in Severn, Md.

Left, Sysco warehouseman Gary Clark and Business Agent Dan Taylor at Sysco, Jessup. Md.


 
 
Teamsters Local 355
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