CHICAGO, July 31, 2025 ~ In a decisive move, over 40 drivers and helpers at Open Kitchens in Chicago have voted to join Teamsters Local 703. The group, consisting of employees from the food service provider, organized in order to demand better pay, stronger benefits, and safer and more respectful working conditions.

Shamia Johnson, a driver at Open Kitchens and now a member of Local 703, expressed the group's motivation for joining the union. "We voted to become Teamsters because we're tired of being pushed around," she stated. "This is about dignity. With a union, we'll finally have a real voice on the job and the power to fight for a fair contract."

Open Kitchens serves the greater Chicagoland area and during the organizing campaign, the company reportedly spent tens of thousands of dollars on anti-union consultants from LRI Consulting Services in an aggressive attempt to thwart the union effort. However, despite these efforts, workers remained united and ultimately voted in favor of joining Teamsters.

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Thomas W. Stiede, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 703, commented on Open Kitchens' tactics during the campaign. "Open Kitchens threw everything but the kitchen sink at these workers in a desperate attempt to block them from becoming Teamsters," he said. "But their campaign failed. These workers refused to back down and now it's time for our bargaining team to negotiate a strong Teamsters contract that delivers real improvements on the job by leveraging our industry presence in the Chicagoland area."

Teamsters Local 703 represents over 4,000 workers across Northern Illinois and the Chicago area in various industries such as grocery, food processing, landscaping, construction, and brewery. With this new addition of Open Kitchens employees, their membership continues to grow. For more information about Teamsters Local 703 and their efforts to improve working conditions for employees across different industries in Chicago visit teamsterslocal703.com.

For further inquiries, please contact Lena Melentijevic at (347) 208-2279.

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