Nearly 100 Temco flatbed drivers unionize with Teamsters, first win for Home Depot logistics

Georgia flatbed drivers unionize at Home Depot unit

Operational and labor implications for Home Depot's logistics arm

Nearly 100 flatbed drivers at Temco Logistics, the Home Depot‑owned carrier that moves building and construction materials across Georgia, are joining Teamsters Local 528 after a February 20 vote that union leaders call the first organizing victory in both Temco and Home Depot history. The drivers, who operate flatbed trucks equipped with Moffett forklifts that require specialized training and certification, are preparing to negotiate their first collective bargaining agreement and say they seek better pay, dignity and greater bargaining power.

The result marks a rare union win inside a major U.S. home‑improvement retailer’s transport network and raises questions about labor relations across retail supply chains. Company logistics operations that rely on skilled flatbed drivers risk disruptions in the near term if bargaining becomes contentious, and the vote is likely to focus attention on pay, safety protocols and training standards for equipment such as mounted forklifts. Industry observers say the certification and skill profile of these drivers make their work harder to replace quickly, giving the new bargaining unit leverage during talks.

Home Depot and Temco face a test in balancing operational continuity with bargaining commitments as Local 528 members seek to convert the vote into enforceable workplace changes. Union officials warn opposition from the company may persist during negotiations but say members will have access to Teamsters’ legal support and organizing resources. How the company engages in bargaining will shape labor relations across its distribution and last‑mile networks and could influence organizing drives among other drivers and warehouse workers in the building materials sector.

Teamsters leaders spotlight anti‑union campaign

Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien hails the vote as “history‑defining,” while Thomas Gesualdi, director of the union’s Building Trades and Construction Materials Division, accuses Home Depot and its subsidiaries of aggressive anti‑union tactics. Local 528’s new members are represented publicly by driver Jaree Beatles, and the union says the campaign withstood intense company opposition.

Broader organizing push and next steps

The announcement is released via PR Newswire from Lithonia, Ga., and directs readers to Teamster.org and the union’s social channels for more information. Union officials frame the victory as part of a wider effort to organize workers across supply chains and urge Home Depot to negotiate in good faith as bargaining begins.