CHICAGO, October 7, 2025 — The food-away-from-home business of Portland, Ore., is facing more of a break from the usual than the possible dispatch of federal troops to patrol the streets.
Operators there could additionally be hit with a strike by employees of the local Sysco distribution center. The 270 union-enrolled drivers and warehouse workers employed there have given their leadership the go-ahead to call a strike if a new labor contract isn't negotiated by the time the current pact expires on Oct. 11.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters said Portland’s Local 162 is seeking the same magnitude of pay and benefit increases that Sysco workers elsewhere secured after a rash of threatened job actions in late 2024 and early ‘25. Those negotiations brought pay raises for Sysco drivers of as much as 41% over a four-year stretch, according to the union.
Among the levers wielded by the Teamsters at the time was the threat of job walkouts spreading across Sysco’s broad distribution network. Conservative estimates hold that 17% of food-away-from-home supplies are provided by Sysco. Research from IFMA The Food Away from Home Association found that 56% of operators use the distributor to some extent.
The Teamsters have resurrected the threat of a broader strike. “If Sysco tries to shortchange hardworking Teamsters, we will be on the picket line, and they will face the full strength of thousands of Sysco Teamsters nationwide.”
Employees of Sysco’s San Francisco operations voted yesterday to authorize a strike of their own, but the move appears unconnected to the situation in Portland. The 400 San Francisco workers are facing their own contract negotiations, with the current deal set to expire on Oct. 31.
“Sysco remains committed to good-faith negotiations with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters with the goal of reaching an agreement in Portland and Sysco San Francisco that rewards our colleagues for their hard-work and dedication to the community while balancing the company’s business needs,” a Sysco spokesperson said in response to a request for comment. “Sysco Portland and Sysco San Francisco are operating as usual while negotiations continue.”
The workers’ demands include pay parity with their counterparts at the local outpost of US Foods, Sysco’s arch-competitor. After employees of the facility voted to join the Teamsters, they commenced a strike that lasted for several weeks. The action secured “a strong first Teamsters contract,” according to Teamsters Local 853, the chapter that represents the local employees of both Sysco and US Foods.
If employees of Sysco’s Portland and San Francisco distribution centers should strike simultaneously, the distribution giant would face “a major labor dispute involving nearly 800 workers across the West Coast,” according to Local 853.
The labor turmoil comes as Oregon officials are waiting to see if orders temporarily restraining President Trump from sending National Guard troops to Portland are made permanent. The federal court’s injunction is in effect until Oct. 19.
Trump’s dispatch of troops to Washington, D.C., the first city to be sent military personnel, has drawn mixed assessments.
The President maintains that local dining establishments have been bustling since 2,200 National Guardsmen were deployed to safeguard the city’s streets. The White House reported that crime in the District has dropped by 17% since the troops were dispatched, with a 50% decline in homicides. With crime no longer the threat it was, according to the Administration, consumers are heading out at night again.
But OpenTable found that reservations for the first week of the deployments fell 7% from the prior year. Restaurants have individually reported an erosion of traffic, but it was not clear if the drop-off was triggered by the troops or by the federal shutdown of the federal government on Oct. 1.
As Managing Editor for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, Romeo is responsible for generating the group's news and feature content. He brings more than 40 years of experience in covering restaurants to the position.
Cover image courtesy: Closed Loop Project