PLYMPTON, MASS. (WHDH) - More than 300 striking Sysco workers are now off the job, and protested for a fourth day outside the company’s Plympton warehouse.
As 7NEWS previously reported, the strike is starting to affect local businesses who rely on their food distribution service. including schools, restaurants and hospitals.
“We’ve already gone through two years of problems, we don’t need a third, we don’t need another year of problems, we need to get back to business,” James Quirk of New England Steak & Seafood, said of the situation.
Quirk said he counts on Sysco’s deliveries twice a week, and doubts he will get the goods he needs.
“My biggest concern is if my Sysco delivery does not arrive,” he said. “And if it doesn’t, I already have it ready and placed with another vendor.”
One Fall River restaurant owner navigated the lack of deliveries another way: he drove to pick up his food order himself.
“It’s taken hours out of our day to come pick up our own food when we paid for the service for it to be delivered,” Luis Gonsalves of Juice’d Cafe said. “So this is throwing a huge monkey wrench in how we conduct our business.”
Sysco has condemned the strike, but the striking employees said they won’t stop until they can reach an agreement on pay, pensions and health care benefits.
There may be a meeting Wednesday at the negotiating table.
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