Teamsters kick off bargaining at US Foods

Workers are fighting for improvements in the food service industry in a multi-Local contract negotiation

TUKWILA, WA (January 31, 2025) — Stored in a closet in Patrick Dean’s house, you’ll find stacks of binders, hip high. In them are the notes of over 20 years of Teamster contract negotiations.

Dean, a shop steward and driver at US Foods, just kicked off his fifth stint at the negotiations table as a Teamster. He came to Teamsters Local 117 when the company acquired his previous employer – Food Services of America – in 2019.

“I keep all of my paperwork,” Dean says. “You never know when you might need it for an arbitration.”

Together with IBT 117’s Secretary-Treasurer and lead negotiator Paul Dascher, Dean brings a wealth of experience to the bargaining table. That experience, coupled with fresh ideas from a crop of newly-elected stewards, rounds out a powerhouse union negotiations committee.

Photo: Teamsters 117

“We have a phenomenal team,” Dascher says. “These guys have been doing this work for a long time. They know the priorities of their group, they’re united, and they know the value of a strong Teamsters contract.”

This solidarity will be key as the group looks to keep pace with the Sysco contract that the Union negotiated last fall. Many members at Sysco are calling that deal the strongest contract they’ve ever seen. Dascher headed up those negotiations as well.

“This contract is really about the money,” Dean says. “We need some more in the pension, but the guys are especially looking for a boost in wages. We also want to clear up some contract language so everything is black and white. There should be no discrepancies and no game playing.”

Patrick Dean has been a Teamster for 24 1/2 years and a shop steward for 22 years. Photo: Teamsters 117

The US Foods bargain includes two other Teamster Locals: Local 174 in Washington and Local 483 in Idaho. As with the historic Waste Management contract that Local 117 helped drive last year, Teamster Locals in Washington have proven that strong partnerships between them produce groundbreaking results for the membership.

“We’ve shown in the past with other bargains that we’re stronger when we work together and that Teamster solidarity will always win the day. These negotiations will be no different,” Dascher said.

This column was originally posted on the 117 Wire and has been lightly edited for clarity.