(Source: Teamsters Joint Council 25 press release, January 4, 2015)
CHICAGO — By a 2-to-1 margin, approximately 30 drivers who make deliveries to Chicago-area Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants recently voted to join Teamsters Local 734.
The new Teamsters are employees of G2K Logistics, a distribution company exclusively servicing Dunkin’ Donuts from a 100,000-square-foot production facility in Bedford Park. Nearly 300,000 donuts are prepared every day at the centralized bakery in Chicago’s southwest suburbs, before being loaded onto trucks bound for 300 area Dunkin’ Donuts locations.
“The Teamsters tip our caps to the hardworking drivers at G2K Logistics, who stood strong against an internal anti-union campaign to vote yes for Teamster representation,” said Brian Meidel, President of Local 734 and Recording Secretary of Teamsters Joint Council 25. “The majority of these workers are on third shift, making early morning deliveries to hundreds of restaurants. They didn’t want to see their hard labor wasted, and they’ve proudly united for respect and fair working conditions.”
Though some of the chain’s locations in other parts of the country still make their own donuts on-site, most Dunkin’ Donuts franchises in Chicago have begun using the Bedford Park bakery. The G2K Logistics delivery drivers, who voted 18-9 to join Local 734, are working with Teamster representatives now in preparation for negotiating their first union contract.
Scott Kunz, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 734, said the Teamsters are looking to improve wages and benefits for the drivers, while strengthening work rules and overall job security.
Teamsters Local 734 represents thousands of delivery drivers in Chicago’s bakery industry, including employees of Sara Lee, Entemann’s, Bimbo Bakeries and Alpha Baking. Local 734 is an affiliate of Teamsters Joint Council 25, America’s premier labor union for Chicago, Illinois and northwest Indiana.