Media reports indicate that Teamsters union officials have ordered strikes against multiple Sysco Foods facilities across the country, and may still order strikes and walkoffs at additional plants.
This situation raises serious concerns for Sysco Foods employees who believe there is much to lose from a union boss-ordered strike and who want to continue doing their jobs and providing for their families.
Employees have the right under federal labor law to rebuff union officials’ strike demands, but it is important for you to get informed before you do so.
If you would like to work during a strike, read ALL of this special notice before returning to work. It might save you thousands of dollars.
Teamster union officials have a decades long history of abusing workers’ rights and disciplining and firing workers who do not kowtow to their dictates. For example:
Federal Labor Board Announces Prosecution of Local Teamster Union Bosses For Threats Against Workers
Bus Drivers Slam the Brakes on Teamster Union Boss Intimidation and Threats
Seven Employees Force Settlement with Teamster Local Union Brass
Army Wives Driver Wins over $55k in Lost Wages After Teamster Union Boss Blacklisting
Sysco workers may want to contact the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation to learn how they can avoid fines and other vicious union discipline for continuing to report to work to support themselves and their families. You can find much of the important information about your rights on our website here. Foundation attorneys have previously successfully assisted Sysco workers, which you can read about here.
The Foundation wants you to learn about your legal rights from independent sources. You should not rely on what self-interested union officials tell you. For over four decades, Foundation attorneys have worked in the courts to protect and expand the rights of individual employees in situations such as strikes. It is the nation’s premier organization exclusively dedicated to providing free legal assistance to employee victims of forced unionism abuse.
Sysco employees who are affected by the current or other possible strikes and walkoffs should know they have the following rights:
- You have the right to resign your membership in the union. If you don’t support this union, you can send the union a letter resigning your membership.
- You have the right to go to work even if the union bosses order a strike. Union officials can (and often do) levy onerous monetary fines against union members who work during a strike. So, you should seriously consider resigning your union membership BEFORE you return to work during a strike, which is the only way to avoid these ruinous union fines and discipline. Your resignation letter must be postmarked THE DAY BEFORE you return to work, or hand delivered BEFORE you actually return to work.
- If you work in a state where the union and employer can require you to pay a fee as a condition of employment, you have the right to become a “Beck objector” and pay only reduced financial core fees instead of full membership dues. If you become a Beck objector, the Teamsters cannot force you to pay for the union’s far-left political and social agenda.
Here is a sample letter for employees who wish to resign their union membership and become Beck objectors.
NOTE: While not legally required, it is a better practice to send your written resignation to the union by certified mail, return receipt requested, and save a copy of it and the return receipt to prove delivery. If you hand deliver a resignation, make sure that you have a reliable witness to the delivery. In our experience, angry and dishonest union officials often pretend they did not actually receive resignations and initiate discipline against non-striking workers anyway.
More information about your rights during a strike is here: https://www.nrtw.org/work-during-strike-private/
If you encounter any difficulties exercising any of your rights discussed in this notice, including your right to work during a strike, or need advice about how to do so, you can contact the Foundation to request free legal aid here.
