Pro-Active Campaign Saves Union Jobs At Giant Warehouse

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

"We just didn't back down," says Teamsters 730 President Ritchie Brooks. The union last week announced that Giant had agreed not to lay off any unionized workers -- and to accept the terms and conditions of the existing Teamster contract --  at its dry goods distribution business in Jessup, Maryland, when it outsources the work later this year to Jessup Logistics LLC, an affiliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers. Brooks tells Union City that C&S is known for taking over unionized warehouses and eliminating the union jobs, and credits an aggressive internal pressure campaign for saving almost 500 union jobs at Giant. In addition to lobbying state officials to contact Giant, Teamsters 730 "threatened to leaflet stores and sent hundreds of our member's Giant bonus cards back to Giant and (parent company) Ahold USA," says Ritchie. "We stood up to them and said Hey, you're not taking our jobs." - Chris Garlock