Local 710 Sysco Drivers Overwhelmingly Ratify New Agreement
Teamsters to Receive Significant Wage Improvements, Elimination of Co-Insurance Costs
MOKENA, IL | Teamsters Local 710 Sysco Drivers gathered en masse at the union hall today and ratified their contract by a more than 2:1 margin, locking in wages, no-cost health insurance and protections for six years.
I want to congratulate all our drivers at Sysco for ratifying their new agreement. We’re now ready to move forward and are fully prepared to enforce this new contract and ensure our members are fully protected in the workplace.
Mike Cales, Secretary-Treasurer & Bargaining Chair
The day started off with an informative meeting to go through all of the changes in the new contract and answer questions. After some discussion, 158 members cast their votes and tallied them together.
Mike Ramirez, Business Agent & Bargaining Co-Chair
The new agreement provides for significant wage improvements for all drivers – the highest enjoyed by this unit. CDL Class-A drivers will receive annual increases of $0.85 per hour, putting them at $36.13 per hour by the end of the agreement. Local 710 also secured strong protections in the event of a reduction in the workforce and much needed changes to the bidding procedure.
Non-CDL drivers will receive an unprecedented $2.00 per hour increase in the first year of the contract and a $0.55 per hour increase in each of the remaining years.
Employees will also enter into a new healthcare plan that mirrors what they received previously. Local 710 locked in benefit coverages, deductibles, copays, and network coverages – all with no co-insurance cost to the members. Prior to this ratification, approximately half of the bargaining unit paid hundreds in co-insurance each month.
Following the vote, members took advantage of the nice weather to join together for a celebratory cookout.
