September 15, 2011: As an International Union Rep, Sandy Pope won the first union contract at C&S—the largest third-party food distribution company in the world.

When C&S took over Pathmark’s distribution work in New Jersey in the 1990s, Sandy Pope was dispatched by the International Union to take on this threat.

C&S wanted to go nonunion—like they had done at other warehouses. The International Union and local leaders launched a corporate campaign to save good Teamster jobs.

As an International Union Rep, Sandy Pope worked with Local 863 leaders and stewards to take on C&S—and the nonunion giant backed down. Members’ jobs were saved and they won the first-ever union contract at C&S.

Sandy Pope also negotiated a groundbreaking neutrality agreement with C&S that gave our union the power to organize other nonunion C&S facilities without management interference.

Under the agreement negotiated by Sandy Pope, C&S’s unionized operations grew. You can download the agreement here.

Hoffa let the neutrality agreement expire—and Teamster members have paid the price. This year alone, C&S has eliminated more than 1,500 Teamster jobs by shifting its work to nonunion facilities. Other Teamsters have been forced to take concessions at the risk of losing their jobs.