Three Teamster locals join forces to take on a Kroger third-party operator together and win.

Tens of thousands of Teamsters in the grocery and food distribution industry work for national employers under separate local contracts.

Through coordinated bargaining, Teamsters can raise standards and win better contracts.

Teamster leaders in Indiana Local 135, Louisville Local 89, and Cincinnati Local 100 showed how it’s done by coordinating their contract negotiations with Zenith Logistics, a third-party operator for Kroger.

Sharing Information

In the past, management took advantage of a lack of communication across units. This time, Teamster local leaders and members shared information well ahead of bargaining.

“We shared notes, proposals, and insight based on past experience,” said Local 89 Business Agent and IBT Warehouse Division Representative Trey McCutcheon.

“Our goal was to build off each others’ best language and not leave each other behind. We pulled and shared the best language from existing contracts.”

Stopping Divide and Conquer

“Management tries to lie about what happens in negotiations,” said Local 135 Business Agent Robert Doolin.

“In our contract, any automation introduced in our warehouse must be negotiated by both parties and cannot be implemented without mutual agreement,” said Doolin.

“But the company tried to pull one over on Local89 and then trick us into changing our language too,” said Doolin.

“We nipped that in the bud. Now both warehouses have language safeguarding against unilateral implementation of new automation.”

Solidarity at Work & at the Table

“During COVID, Teamsters from Cincinnati and Indianapolis went to work at Zenith in Louisville.

"Their contract and the conditions there opened our eyes. We saw what we were missing,” said Local 100 Zenith steward Brian Gaines. “Having each others’ backs during bargaining lets us stay in step and bring each other up.”

Local 135 bargained first. The bargaining committee opened negotiations to all interested members and even invited Zenith Teamsters from across the region.

“Having members from the warehouses and locals at the table was a real boost,” said McCutcheon. “Being together like that built respect and solidarity. It showed we’re not just members of a local, we’re members of the Teamsters.”

Participating in other locals’ negotiations raised expectations and member involvement too.

“When we came back from Local 135 negotiations, our members left their pre-shift meeting and walked together to our meet spot for an update about what happened at the table,” said Gaines. 

“That alone showed the company that the entire shift was ready to take action together.”

Members at all three warehouses kept management on their toes.

Local 135 members organized T-shirt days, button days, and packed the bargaining table.

“After members in Indianapolis authorized a strike, Teamsters in Louisville and Cincinnati passed out leaflets explaining to members they had the right to honor a picket line extended to their warehouse,” said Local 100 Business Agent Brady Whaley.

“Being the largest of the three warehouses, we showed management and each other that we are in this together,” said McCutcheon.

Fighting for Our Future

Local 89 and Local 135 have brought their expiration dates closer together, and Local 100 will bargain this fall with the same goal.

Eventually the goal is to line up all three expiration dates to have more leverage.

“We can raise standards across the board by coordinating on bargaining strategy and taking coordinated action,” said Whaley.

“We are showing the company that we may be three separate warehouses, but we’re over 1,000 united Teamsters. And we will keep fighting for what we deserve,” McCutcheon said.