Drivers at Breakthru Beverage facilities across Florida are seeking to remove the Teamsters union from representing them, according to a petition submitted by employee Tim Zulinki. The petition, which was filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), comes with legal support from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
The NLRB is tasked with enforcing federal labor law and managing elections that determine whether unions remain in workplaces. Zulinki collected enough signatures on his petition to meet the requirements for a secret ballot election. Breakthru Beverage operates distribution centers in several Florida cities, including Jacksonville, Midway, Pensacola, Orlando, Fort Myers, and Tampa.
Florida’s status as a Right to Work state means that union membership or payment of dues cannot be required as a condition of employment. In states without such laws, employees can be compelled to pay dues or fees or risk losing their jobs. Despite this protection in Florida, unions can still act as exclusive representatives for all workers at a site, even those who do not support the union.
The NLRB will now review Zulinki’s petition and is expected to schedule an election soon. If a majority of participating drivers vote against continued representation by the Teamsters, hundreds of Breakthru drivers would no longer be subject to union representation.
This move follows a strike called by Teamsters officials in June 2025 that lasted until late October when union leaders and company management reached a new contract agreement. Zulinki submitted his decertification petition before the contract took effect—a critical detail because of the NLRB’s “contract bar” policy. This policy can prevent workers from requesting decertification votes for up to three years after a contract is signed; it is based on board decisions rather than explicit federal law.
Teamsters leadership did not endorse Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign due to his stance on Right to Work laws and opposition to forced union dues nationwide. Surveys indicate that nearly 80% of American union members support Right to Work policies.
Attorneys at the National Right to Work Foundation have reported an increase in requests from workers seeking help with Teamsters decertification efforts.
“Sean O’Brien & Co.’s propaganda about the Teamsters union’s supposed ‘victory’ across Florida after the Breakthru strike is being contradicted by rank-and-file workers in real time,” said Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Foundation. “Mr. Zulinki and his coworkers want freedom from the Teamsters hierarchy, which is increasingly proving to be radical and out-of-touch with what workers want.”
Mix also stated: “While Florida provides important protections for independent-minded workers through its Right to Work law, ultimately no worker should be subject to union monopoly bargaining control they disagree with.”
