More than 200 Cincinnati Local 100 Teamsters are celebrating a contract campaign victory at Zenith Logistics, a third-party operator for Kroger. Zenith Teamsters ratified the contract unanimously, 118-0. Their new contract includes a nearly $5 raise in the first year and replaces company health coverage with TeamCare.

Members also won an increase in personal days from three to six, an additional week of vacation for high seniority members, and the creation of new union porter positions to take back work from subcontractors.

The victory shows the power of a rank-and-file contract campaign backed by coordinated action between Teamster locals and the Warehouse Division. 

Coordinated Action

The victory in Cincinnati follows victories in the past year at Zenith in Indiana Local 135, and Louisville Local 89. The three locals have worked together and coordinated to build leverage for each contract.

Zenith Teamsters in Indianapolis Local 135 won the first contract victory last fall. 

After members in Indianapolis authorized a strike, Zenith Teamsters in Cincinnati and Louisville distributed flyers at the warehouses explaining that members have the right to honor a picket line extended to their warehouse in the case of a strike.

Zenith Teamsters in Louisville Local 89 bargained next, winning contract improvements in January 2025.

To show solidarity, business agents from all three locals joined each other at the bargaining table. 

“We shared notes and strategy and showed Zenith that we were united,” said Local 100 Business Agent Brady Whaley.

Zenith Teamsters in Cincinnati Local 100 made it clear to the company that they would not accept substandard language compared to the two other contracts.

Will Strike if Provoked

Members at Zenith in Cincinnati Local 100 ran a contract campaign that united the workforce. Months of organizing built a credible strike threat. 

In August, members collected surveys in English and Spanish from more than 95% of the warehouse to identify members’ key issues. They then built unity around their contract demands with a contract unity pledge drive. 

“We took the time to talk with every member while they filled out the surveys. It was important for people to see that they really had a say in the process,” said Brian Gaines, a member of the Zenith bargaining committee. 

In September, members started wearing gray shirts to work every Tuesday. Each Tuesday, nearly every member would wear the matching gray. Management took notice.

Members turned up the heat with a workplace action a few days before bargaining began. Every member showed up to the warehouse wearing matching black shirts that read: “Judgement Day: November 8. Will strike if provoked.” 

They all walked into work and clocked in at the same time, collectively refusing any unpaid prep work often done off the clock.

“That was the day that I knew we had them. When they saw that we had everyone active, even the ones who don’t normally participate, I could see that they were afraid of us,” said Jamarr Moore, the chief steward from Zenith. 

When bargaining began, Zenith moved quickly, clearly worried about the possibility of a strike. After one week at the table, Teamsters walked away with by far the biggest contract improvements they had ever won.

A Strong Union Involves Everyone

The large majority of Teamsters at Zenith Cincinnati are Black or Latino. Active participation from both groups was key to the victory.

In February, Local 100 and TDU hosted a Black History event in Cincinnati, attended by members from both Cincinnati and Louisville. 

Nearly 150 Teamsters packed the Local 100 union hall, for an event that focused on Black labor history and getting Black members involved in the union today. 

For many members at Zenith, this event was their first time attending any union event. It wouldn’t be their last. In September, many of the same members again filled the Local 100 hall for a Zenith Contract Campaign training attended by more than 50% of the unit.

More than one quarter of Zenith members in Cincinnati speak Spanish. To build unity and get buy-in from everyone, the contract surveys, pledge cards, and campaign updates were all printed in both English and Spanish. 

"Winning another week of vacation sooner was an especially important issue for Hispanics so we could have enough time to go visit our families. We all really trusted the union when we saw that they listened to our issues and fought for all of us," said Michael Morales, a member of the Zenith bargaining committee. 

The Zenith Strike Force t-shirts included the group slogan on the front: One Team, One Dream. Un Equipo, Un Sueño.