Union to Dunkin’ Donuts: Time to make the contract

Jay Fitzgerald writes in the Boston Herald that a Dunkin’ Donuts supplier and Teamsters Local 25 traded harsh rhetorical blows yesterday as the two sides seemed to be headed toward a strike showdown.

The Teamsters union – which is trying to negotiate a contract for 180 recently organized workers at a Northeast DCP facility in Bellingham – held a protest rally outside a Dunkin’ Donuts shop in Boston’s Financial District.

More than 100 Teamsters passed out fliers and held signs with pictures of Dunkin’s old “Fred the Baker” spokesman bemoaning the lack of a new contract.

The protest appeared to hit a nerve at Northeast DCP, an independent company that supplies all the food and other items for the 2,200 Dunkin’ Donut shops across New England.

“Teamsters Protest Rather Than Negotiate,” blared the headline on a Northeast DCP press release. The company accused the Teamsters of walking out of contract talks because they want non-union employees to pay union dues.

“The Northeast DCP has been bargaining in good faith,” said Patty Healy, a company vice president.

Local 25 President Sean O’Brien said the firm is engaging in “stalling tactics” in an attempt to get the recently formed union decertified next month.

O’Brien said a strike may be “imminent at this point.”

Boston Herald

No Agreement for Teamsters Local 25 and Dunkin’ Donuts

The Teamsters Local 25 and Dunkin’ Donuts are still unable to reach an agreement concerning workers at the Northeast DCP

Laura Clapper of Business Review USA reports that the fight between the Teamsters and Dunkin’ Donuts is getting ugly. Over the last few days, the two factions have ended discussions.  As of last Friday, the supplier for Dunkin’ Donuts, Northeast DCP was trying to avoid an interruption in deliveries when the Teamsters Local 25 walked away from the negotiating table and threatened a boycott. At issue is the contract between workers, including 180 truck drivers and helpers and the freedom of employees to choose whether to join the union.

The Teamsters had insisted that all employees become union members or lose their jobs. As a compromise, the Northeast DCP has proposed that new employees must pay union dues while existing employees who choose to join the union can have the dues deducted from their paychecks.

“We have also been bargaining in good faith to reach agreement on other remaining issues, and we call upon Local 25′s negotiators to return to the table,” said Kevin Bruce, CEO of the Northeast DCP in a statement. “Considering the highly competitive pay and benefits that our drivers and helpers receive, combined with the uncertain economy, we believe it’s unnecessary and harmful for the Teamsters to disrupt rather than negotiate.”

The Teamsters Speak

Conversely, the Teamsters don’t believe that Dunkin’ Donuts and its suppliers are willing to negotiate. In a separate statement, the Teamsters Local 25 President Sean O’Brien said, “As far as we’re concerned Teamsters Local 25 has done everything to reach an agreement with the company. Their response is to offer provisions they know we can’t agree to and to insist on taking away benefits the employees now have. Therefore, we have decided that future negotiations would be a waste of time. Instead, our efforts will be to organize both regional and national boycotts of Dunkin’ Donuts stores and to do everything possible, within the law, to encourage Dunkin’ Donuts Northeast DCP to come to the bargaining table with an open mind on issues important to the employees and the union.”

According to the most recent statement from the Teamsters, O’Brien called Bruce to continue negotiations, to which Bruce hung up the phone.

“The leadership of Dunkin’ Donuts DCP should practice what they preach,” O’Brien said following the conversation with Bruce. “We made every effort to resume talks through Dunkin’ Donuts CEO Kevin Bruce and consistent with the theme of past negotiations, he and his company are apparently not willing to resume talks.”

“I want to be clear – our team at Local 25 is ready to roll-up our sleeves and negotiate a contract in the best interests of our members and their families,” O’Brien said. “We have come too far in this process to turn back. Many of the company’s proposals would not protect, preserve, and improve working conditions.”

Dunkin’ Northeast Drivers Postpone Strike

Nation’s Restaurant News reports that the union representing drivers and delivery staff for Dunkin’ Donuts’ largest distributor in New England has postponed plans to strike after making progress in contract negotiations, parent company Dunkin’ Brands Inc. said Tuesday.

Teamsters Local 25 indicated last week that its members would strike the distributor, Northeast DCP, potentially halting operations at as many as 2,500 Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins locations.

The union has accused Northeast DCP, which is owned by Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees, of interfering in contract negotiations for some 200 drivers who elected to join the union last August. The union has until August to negotiate the first-time contract or face possible decertification.

The Teamsters are expected to resume talks with Northeast DCP on July 16, under the supervision of a federal mediator, said Michelle King, a spokeswoman for Dunkin’ Brands.

King said Dunkin’ would continue to monitor the situation and do everything it could to keep business operating without interruption should the drivers decide to strike the distributorship.

“The Teamsters’ dispute is with an independent distributor. The distributor has informed us that they are bargaining in good faith and intend to continue discussions until they reach an agreement,” King said in a statement. “While Dunkin’ Donuts has no role in these negotiations, on behalf of both parties we hope an agreement is reached soon.”

Representatives for Teamsters Local 25 and Northeast DCP did not return requests for comment at press time.

Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin’ Brands franchises 8,800 Dunkin’ Donuts stores and 6,000 Baskin-Robbins locations worldwide.

Nation’s Restaurant News

Dunkin’ Donuts Supplier Wants Continued Negotiations With Teamsters

Strike Threat by Teamsters Local 25 is Unfortunate and Unnecessary

The Northeast DCP, a franchisee-owned supplier for Dunkin’ Donuts stores throughout New England, is calling for Teamsters Local 25 to accept additional negotiation dates that have been offered and call off threats to strike.

In a news release today, the union incorrectly claimed negotiations are stalled and that the DCP is refusing to talk about issues such as health care and union security.

The truth is that 32 tentative agreements on issues have been reached, including financial ones such as 401K, pension, and incentives. All other issues, including health care and union security, are on the table. We have met regularly with the union, and at the most recent bargaining session, the Northeast DCP offered two specific July dates for continued bargaining. Teamsters Local 25 declined to accept them, and issued a public strike threat instead.

The negotiations underway are for an initial contract that would cover truck drivers and helpers. Arriving at the language of a first contract is a complex and usually lengthy process that requires meaningful negotiation. We remain committed to this process.

We are taking steps to ensure that scheduled deliveries to Dunkin’ Donuts stores in New England will continue smoothly in the event that Teamsters Local 25 follows through on its threat to strike.

The Northeast DCP continues to bargain in good faith to reach an agreement that is in the best interests of our employees, Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees and, ultimately, Dunkin’ Donuts consumers.

About The Northeast DCP

The Northeast DCP (NEDCP) is a supplier for Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants throughout New England. The NEDCP, with nearly 500 employees, operates under the National DCP, LLC (NDCP), which was established in 2005 to unify both the buying power and manpower of four existing regional centers. The NDCP is the exclusive Supply Chain Partner for Dunkin’ Brands, Inc., servicing more than 6,000 Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins outlets worldwide.
SOURCE The Northeast DCP

Teamsters threaten action against Dunkin’ in contract dispute

The powerful Charlestown union yesterday accused one of Dunkin’s largest distribution companies of deliberately dragging its feet on signing a new contract for nearly 200 Bellingham truckers and other workers who voted last year to join the Teamsters.

As a result, the Teamsters may call for pickets and boycotts of Dunkin’ shops unless a contract is signed soon, the head of Local 25 said yesterday.

“It’s a stalling tactic,” Sean O’Brien, president of Local 25, said of protracted contract negotiations.

Dunkin’ Donuts Northeast DCP, a cooperative owned by regional franchisees, can ask for a union decertification vote if a contract isn’t reached by August, the one-year anniversary of workers narrowly voting to join the Teamsters, O’Brien said.

So the cooperative has an incentive to string out negotiations, O’Brien charged.

While the distribution center is technically not part of Dunkin’ Donuts’ parent company in Canton, it’s a critical part of the overall Dunkin’ supply distribution system – and any pickets and boycotts of Dunkin’ stores are fair game, O’Brien said.

“We have 11,000 members, and I can almost guarantee you 90 percent of them go to Dunkin’ Donuts,” warned O’Brien.

He added Dunkin’ Donuts Northeast DCP’s negotiating strategy is a “perfect example” for why Congress should pass legislation making it easier to organize unions and to negotiate contracts.

Dunkin’ Donuts Northeast DCP denied the organization is trying to stall contract talks in an attempt to get a new union decertification vote.

“We’re bargaining in good faith,” said spokeswoman Patty Healy. “We intend to keep (negotiating) until we reach an agreement.”

But O’Brien, who has his eye on organizing workers at three other Dunkin’ distribution sites, countered that he’s held 16 contract meetings since last October and negotiators are still not talking about salaries and wages.

Some Dunkin’ Donuts kitchen workers already belong to unions, officials say. But the Teamsters’ organizing effort is believed to be the most ambitious attempt to unionize Dunkin’ workers.

A spokesman for Dunkin’ Brands Inc. in Canton referred questions to Northeast DCP.

Dunkin’ Donuts to Open Distribution Center in North Carolina

A Dunkin’ Donuts distribution center will open up early next year in an 80,000-square-foot building near Interstate 40 and Piedmont Triad International Airport.

Dunkin’ Donuts Mid-Atlantic Distribution Center, a Westampton, N.J.-based distribution cooperative, has signed a lease for the building at 8416 Triad Drive, just below West Market Street.

Officials with Dunkin’ Donuts MADC declined to comment. But real estate brokers involved with the deal confirmed the move. The new distribution center will provide supplies and ingredients to stores in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina, said John Schultz, managing partner at High Point-based Triad Commercial Properties, who represented Dunkin’ Donuts MADC.

Schultz said the cooperative plans to start operations early next year, likely in January.

200 Workers Who Keep Dunkin’ Donuts Running Join Teamsters Local 25

The Massachusetts AFL-CIO reports that Drivers, Helpers Seek Affordable Healthcare, Strong Voice at Work
 
Nearly 200 workers who deliver products to Dunkin’ Donuts stores in New England voted to join Local 25 in Boston.

On August 11 and 12, the drivers and helpers at Northeast DCP in Bellingham, Massachusetts voted 100 to 78 to join Local 25. There are 194 workers in the bargaining unit. The drivers deliver all types of items to the stores, including the donut dough, furniture, coffee and coffee syrup, coffee machines, ad displays and other items.

A representation election at the company on April 1 fell short, but Local 25 filed charges against the company for violating the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) for misleading workers by telling them that their 401(k) retirement plan would end if they chose to join the Teamsters. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) overturned that election, paving the way for the second election.

“The company lost all its credibility by violating the NLRA,” said Sean M. O’Brien, President of Local 25. “This victory for the workers is an example of organizing in our core industry—trucking. Our charter going back more than a century mentions Local 25 being a union made up of drivers and helpers. This election brought us back to our roots.”

The workers are concerned about affordable healthcare, changes to their bonus plan and they want a consistent strong voice in the workplace.

To help make the campaign a success, Local 25 set up a special page on its local union website. The web page featured updates about the campaign, fliers and letters from O’Brien.

“We also coordinated an elite group of member organizers for worker-to-worker organizing,” O’Brien said. “Our members are some of our best organizers and this is just another example of why it is so important to engage our members. All of our agents and officers at Local 25 were also on the ground working this campaign.”

Massachusetts AFL-CIO

Dunkin’ Donuts Event Raises $715,000 for Cancer Research in One Day

Franchise Owners have raised more than $8 Million for the Jimmy Fund to date

Dunkin’ Donuts store owners, employees, suppliers and loyal customers in New England raised more than $715,000 for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund through proceeds generated from the 12th Annual Dunkin’ Donuts George Mandell Memorial Golf Tournament and Auction held on August 10, 2009. The event, organized by Dunkin’ Donuts Northeast Distribution Center (NEDCP) and held at The International Golf Club in Bolton, MA, has historically been one of the Jimmy Fund’s highest-grossing fund-raising tournaments nationwide.

Through 2008, Dunkin’ Donuts franchisees and vendors in the Northeast donated more than $7.3 million to specifically fund the work of the “Rising Stars” physicians at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI).

The $715,000 donated in 2009 and all fund-raising activities moving forward will now benefit “The Dunkin’ Donuts ‘Right Cures Rid Cancer’ Research Fund.” This new program supports the Center for Clinical and Translational Research at Dana Farber where doctors lead research and testing to better understand and treat disease based upon each individual’s cancer. The program emphasizes academic / industry collaborations to ensure that the most promising and innovative technologies move rapidly to the medical marketplace and patient care.

This year, canister contributions made by consumers at participating Dunkin’ Donuts shops totaled more than $16,000 and were also included in the total via a check presented from the Dunkin’ Donuts Community Foundation.

“This event is successful every year through the generosity of our franchisees, vendors, Dunkin’ Brands and DCP employees,” said David Liguori, Tournament Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Dunkin’ Donuts National DCP. “The addition of generous consumer contributions in 2009 marks the start of an integrated opportunity for future fund-raising growth. Despite challenging economic times, there is a distinct passion for the Jimmy Fund and the cause it represents. The tragedy of cancer is pervasive and we want to contribute in any way that we can to help Dana Farber Cancer Institute find a cure for this horrible disease.”

Nancy Rowe, Director of the Jimmy Fund Golf Program adds, “The commitment by Dunkin’ Donuts is extraordinary and vitally important to the work of Dana Farber. We are grateful for their continued devotion to the Jimmy Fund.”

The Dunkin’ Donuts George Mandell Memorial Golf Tournament began in 1998 in honor of George Mandell, a Dunkin’ Donuts franchisee who died of cancer. Today, the tournament continues with terrific momentum paying tribute to members of the Dunkin’ Donuts community who have since lost their lives to cancer and celebrating those who have been treated and are now on their way to being cancer-free.

QSR

Best Practices: Voice-directed picking

To improve picking operations, Dunkin’ Donuts leapfrogged bar code scanning, jumping from a paper-based solution to voice-directed picking.

Modern Materials Handling

What’s been the hottest automatic identification technology used to improve the productivity of order pickers in warehouses over the last few years?

If you guessed voice, you’re right. The advantage of hands-free picking can lead to significant efficiencies over traditional RF-directed picking, especially in carton and each picking operations.

That’s one of the reasons Dunkin’Donuts replaced a paper-based system with a voice-directed order picking system (Voxware) at its Mid-Atlantic distribution center in Westhampton, N.J. In fact, Dunkin’ bypassed bar code scanning altogether. The result: Double-digit productivity gains and increased accuracy. But beyond that, the donut maker has also seen a better, safer work environment, and a 50% drop in turnover.

In the initial stages, voice was used for three major tasks, in addition to order picking:

1. The voice system directs order pickers through required safety inspections of lift trucks at the beginning of each shift.
2. The voice system directs the in-sequence loading of completed pallet loads into over-the-road trucks.
3. The system directs truck loaders through trailer inspections that must be completed before a truck is loaded.

The next stage included plans to voice-enable inventory putaway and replenishment. The idea: Just as voice enables hands-free picking, Dunkin’s lift truck operators saw an advantage in being able to drive with one hand, operate hydraulics with the other hand and just talk instead of scanning. Eventually, the facility managers would like to use voice technology to direct cycle counting and receiving, and to integrate the voice system with a yard management system.

But in addition to productivity improvements, voice is keeping turnover low by helping workers achieve the accuracy rates Dunkin’ Donuts demands. Training new employees is easier with the voice system than it was with the paper-based system.

Safety has been another key benefit of voice. Order pickers are no longer looking down at paper lists as they’re driving their pallet jacks, and that has dramatically reduced lift truck accidents and injuries, which has led to Dunkin having better workers’ compensation coverage.

Following the success of voice in the New Jersey facility, Dunkin’ rolled it out to three more DCs.

Modern Materials Handling