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EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. – More than 90 drivers and warehouse workers at Bimbo Bakeries in East Brunswick have voted unanimously to authorize a strike, Teamsters Local 701 announced Monday at 3:12 p.m. ET. The vote is an authorization only. The union has not announced a walkout, a start date or a deadline, and it did not report any disruption to deliveries or supply.
The main dispute is health care. The union says it wants a contract that keeps the Teamsters health plan the workers have been in for more than 25 years, and says the company is trying to move away from it. Those are the union’s claims. The company’s position is not stated in the union’s announcement, and we have not seen a response from Bimbo Bakeries.
“If Bimbo wants a strike, a strike is what they will get,” said Jeff Padellaro, director of the Teamsters Brewery, Bakery, and Soft Drink Conference. Local 701 president Ron Lake said members are “ready to head to the picket line if a fair contract is not reached.” The union also says it has filed unfair labor practice charges against the company. No finding has been announced.
Context: a strike authorization is a vote that lets union leaders call a strike. It does not mean a strike will happen, and many contract talks settle after one. The workers are based in East Brunswick. The union’s office is in North Brunswick Township.
Why it matters: bakery drivers and warehouse crews keep store shelves stocked across central New Jersey, so a walkout could affect deliveries. Still unknown: when talks resume, what the company has offered, and whether a strike date will be set.
File photo: an Entenmann’s delivery truck, a Bimbo Bakeries brand, photographed in Michigan. It is not a vehicle or site involved in the New Jersey dispute.
JBizNews Desk | East Brunswick, N.J.
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