Rolling Sympathy Strikes Harass Food-Service Giant

[Omaha Steve]

http://labornotes.org/2011/11/rolling-sympathy-strikes-harass-food-service-giant

Jane Slaughter | November 25, 2011


The Teamsters' pop-up picketing has been keeping US Foods guessing as it struggles to deliver perishables to its institutional customers. Photo: US Foods Workers/Teamsters.


Taking advantage of contracts that allow members to honor picket lines, Teamsters spread short, rolling sympathy strikes to nine states at the nation’s second-largest food service company.

Taking advantage of contracts that allow members to honor picket lines, Teamsters spread short, rolling sympathy strikes to nine states at the nation’s second-largest food service company.

Jumping off from an unfair labor practice strike in a bargaining unit of just two janitors, more than half the union’s 4,000 members at US Foods had joined the action by early November, the Teamsters said, and more sympathy strikes were possible.

The union’s US Foods members work at 25 distribution centers across the country that deliver every food-like product, from French fries to cream puffs, to restaurants, hospitals, military bases, and jails. Each group works under a different local agreement. This is the first time strikes have taken off nationally.

“People understand our turn in the barrel may be next,” said Jamie Young, a driver in Washington state who struck for 12 hours November 4 to support the two janitors. “Our contract is coming up in three years, we want their support—it’s pretty far-sighted.”

FULL story at link.

[socialist_n_TN]

1. Solidarity. And this is one of the industries

that needs to be nationalized and the profit motive taken out of it. Like health care and housing, food is a necessity for the 99%. NOBODY should profit off of people's NEEDS. Let them profit off of WANTS.

[formercia]

2. “People understand our turn in the barrel may be next,”

How many here know where this comes from?

I do, just wondering.:evilgrin:

[DCKit]

3. Either a reference to a filthy joke, or a fairy tale. nt

[formercia]

4. It's an old Navy joke

about a young sailor, new on board. After a couple of weeks, he's getting pretty needy, so he asks one of the old-timers how they deal with the problem. The old Salt takes him below deck and leads him to a Barrel in the corner. "Stick it in there and see if it makes you feel any better." The young sailor, with a smile on his face agrees that it's the thing to do.
The old Salt tells him: " one condition. You always have to ask permission from me first." The youngster figures it's not so difficult to do and agrees to the terms.
So, things are really rosy for the young man until, one day, he asks permission and it's denied. "Did I do something wrong?", he asks. " No." replied the old Salt. "It's just that this Week, it's your turn in the Barrel."