Here’s the Reason Restaurants Might Be Facing a New Food Shortage
Restaurants and Hospital Cafeterias have struggled tremendously over the last three years with food and staffing shortages, now a new problem could be just around the corner. Employees at the industry's largest supplier of food have just gone on strike in Syracuse.
The Teamsters Union announced on Facebook Tuesday night that at 9:21 p.m., "more than 200 SYSCO Teamsters at Local 317 in Syracuse" walked off the job to protest unfair labor practices. Media reports say that the job stoppage includes drivers and warehouse workers which will cause an immediate effect on restaurants, schools, colleges, hospitals and nursing homes. As early as Wednesday, restaurants are already reporting that food deliveries did not arrive as scheduled, according to Syracuse.com.
SYSCO's Syracuse area warehouse located on Warner's Road in Onondaga supplies food to many restaurants and institutions in the Utica-Rome area.
"SHOT HEARD AROUND THE WORLD: Just now, at 9:21pm ET, more than 200 Sysco Teamsters at Local 317 in Syracuse, NY walked off the job to protest unfair labor practices." - Teamsters Union Facebook page.
The union warned, "This could spread. Stay tuned," on their Facebook page. The union claims that several SYSCO branded locations are currently working without a contract or they have contracts that are ready to expire, according to the social media post.
Local 317 filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against SYSCO back on Sept. 21, according to Syracuse.com.
"Sysco Syracuse distributes over 10,000 items, consisting of meat, poultry, seafood, produce, dairy, frozen, beverage, dry and canned food products," according to its website. The company's history in New York dates back to 1933 with Bird's Eye Company, which distributed frozen foods. The company later became Albany Frosted Foods, and in 1970, merged with SYSCO.