Teamsters Local 135 Wins 26% Raise, Pension and Work Protections at US Foods

Teamsters Local 135 Wins Major Contract Changes at US Foods

US Foods drivers and warehouse workers represented by Teamsters Local 135 are ratifying a four‑year collective bargaining agreement that delivers substantial pay and benefits gains and new workplace protections. More than 200 members approve the deal after a credible strike threat, securing a 26% wage increase, the introduction of a defined benefit pension where workers previously had only a 401(k), expanded health coverage, enforceable load standards and language aimed at limiting unchecked automation. The package is framed as a comprehensive improvement to pay, retirement security and daily working conditions.

Negotiators and union officials present the agreement as the product of intensive talks and members’ readiness to withhold labor, which they say compels management concessions. The contract includes safer and enforceable working rules for drivers and warehouse staff, grievance procedures for enforcement and expanded bargaining committee oversight to monitor compliance. Local 135‑represented workers operate across Indiana and into Louisville, delivering to restaurants, universities and hospital systems, and the union frames the deal as protecting those supply lines by improving safety and reliability for drivers.

Local 135 President Dustin Roach emphasizes member militancy and unity as decisive, saying the contract holds management accountable, while rank‑and‑file members call the package among the strongest US Foods has faced. Teamsters officials point to the vote as demonstrating the union’s leverage when membership is prepared to take collective action; Teamsters represent more than 5,500 US Foods jobs nationwide and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters counts about 1.3 million members across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.

Enforcement and Worker Protections

The agreement contains concrete enforcement mechanisms, with grievance procedures and oversight structures that the union says will ensure compliance on pay, loading standards and protections against automation. Union leaders present the load standards and safety provisions as measures to reduce injuries and operational strain on drivers and warehouse staff.

Industry impact and next steps

Union officials and labor analysts view the deal as a potential template for other Teamsters locals that negotiate with foodservice distributors, noting the leverage created by credible strike authorization. For media inquiries, the union lists Lena Melentijevic at (347) 208‑2279 or [email protected], and encourages following @Teamsters on Facebook for updates.