Leslie is joined by Josh Graves, who serves as both an International Brotherhood of Teamsters Warehouse Division Representative and Vice-President of Teamsters Local 104. As a second-generation Teamster from Atlas Warehouse, a third-party logistics company that services Kroger, Josh has been a Teamster for over 22 years and is currently based in Arizona. He has played a key role in securing some of the union’s strongest contracts at Sysco, most notably the recent agreement at Local 690 in Washington, which provided Teamsters members with a wage increase of over 30 percent. In a wide-ranging conversation, Leslie and Josh dug into what has quietly become one of the most consequential labor stories in the country: the growing power of the Teamsters at Sysco, one of the nation’s most profitable food service giants. The discussion began with a recent win in Spokane, where drivers represented by Teamsters Local 690 ratified a four-year contract delivering major gains, including significant wage increases, lower health care costs, stronger pensions, and more vacation time. Graves emphasized that those gains were driven by workers’ willingness to authorize a strike, a show of unity that forced Sysco back to the table. That local victory, he explained, is part of a much larger strategy. Marshall and Graves pointed to the first-ever regional Sysco contract covering more than 1,000 Teamsters across Northern California and Nevada, where coordinated bargaining and a credible strike threat produced similarly strong results. The agreement not only boosted pay and benefits but also included important protections around safety and automation, setting standards that extend beyond a single facility or city. Graves noted that these wins are happening even in right-to-work states like Arizona, underscoring how union density and member engagement have reshaped negotiations nationwide. Over the past five years, Teamsters representation at Sysco has grown dramatically, strengthening the union’s leverage and changing the tone of labor relations with the company. Looking ahead, the conversation turned to upcoming contract expirations in Montana and Chicago. Graves made clear that, after a string of major victories, Sysco Teamsters are prepared to take action to secure contracts that match the gains workers have already fought for elsewhere. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow them on X and Instagram, where their handle is @Teamsters, and “like” them on Facebook at Facebook.com/Teamsters.
