SYSCO Food Services of Pittsburgh (PA) LLC has a contingency plan in place that ensures that it will be able to continue supplying food and other products to its 3,000 customers even if warehouse workers and drivers go on strike.
“We don't want a strike, but a strike or other job action will not stop us from performing our mission, which is to distribute food, supplies, equipment, and services to restaurants, healthcare facilities, schools, and other institutions in western Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia, and eastern Ohio,” said Diane Reimer, vice-president of employee relations at SYSCO/Pittsburgh, a division of Houston TX-based SYSCO Corp.
According to Reimer, the contract between SYSCO/Pittsburgh and Local 23 of the United Food and Commercial Workers covering about 130 workers at SYSCO's Jackson Township facility in Butler County ended February 28. Since that date, covered employees have been working under a contract extension which ends March 31, 2003.
“We intend to keep bargaining in good faith, but we also intend to keep operating our business and serving our customers,” said Reimer.
SYSCO Corp has a distribution network that extends throughout the contiguous United States and Alaska, as well as portions of Canada. With more than 3,000 active customers, SYSCO/Pittsburgh provides more than 7,000 food and food-related items from its Jackson Township distribution center.
