Negotiations between Teamsters Local 117 and Sysco broke off on Tuesday after the company committed a number of Unfair Labor Practices, including bad-faith bargaining, direct dealing, and worker intimidation. Local 117 filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday afternoon.

The company is also engaging in regressive bargaining and seeking concessions from workers that would significantly erode their current health care coverage.

“Instead of bargaining in good faith, Sysco is attacking working families by demanding concessions that will reduce workers’ incomes by dramatically shifting health and welfare costs to the employees,” said Tracey A. Thompson, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117.

The company is aggressively preparing for a strike. They have made plans for replacement workers including the threat of bringing in drivers from out-of-state.

On Saturday, August 25, 220 drivers and warehouse workers at Sysco overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike in response to the company’s intimidation tactics.

The contract between Sysco and Teamsters Local 117 expired on August 31. The parties signed an extension agreement that expired at midnight on September 11.

“Unless Sysco commits to bargain in good faith, there is a very real potential for a labor dispute that would disrupt delivery to its customers throughout Western Washington,” Thompson said.