SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Some restaurant owners are being forced to drive hours in order to keep their businesses running. Driving all the way from Brockport to Rochester, owners are filling their cars, trucks and U-Hauls just to keep business going.
Sysco is a huge national food distribution company, that has factories across the United States and delivers to schools, restaurants etc.
Workers have been on strike since September 28th, and without a contract since August 20th, says 25 year Sysco worker and strike captain, Gary Williams.
Local restaurants were never notified there would be a strike or that orders would just be cancelled, according to Pat Orr, owner of PB&J’S Lunchbox Cafe. Orr had several orders cancelled before finally one being put through.
Sysco changed their order policies abruptly on owners. The company placed a 25 unit minimum restriction on orders, says Orr. One unit of food can be anything from two turkeys to six jars of marinara sauce.
“Your bill went from $400 to $1400, so you’re dishing out more money and you don’t have to go as often but it is not ideal,” says Orr.
This is not exclusive to Syracuse. Boston, Arizona, and Los Angeles have joined the fight against Sysco’s unfair labor practices, says Williams. The company was already understaffed but continued taking new orders they could not fulfill; forcing 50 to 60 hour work weeks on employees, says Williams.
“It’s a physical job and it’s just too much for people,” says Williams.
A meeting took place in Washington D.C. yesterday between Sysco Corporate and Teamster International, but nothing has been resolved yet.
