Striking i-Health Workers Launch Boycott

Unions and community held a solidarity picket with striking iHealth DSM warehouse workers, members of Teamsters Union Local 671, outside the Omni Hotel in New Haven where their multi-million dollar employer was holding their 2025 national conference.

The workers have been on strike since December for unfair labor practices, union busting, and delays in negotiations. On the second day of the strike i-Health illegally fired 12 workers, and fired another worker in January.

iHealth required work on holidays and a mandatory 72 hour work week. The company also refused to offer affordable healthcare.

The picket kicked off a boycott of all iHealth DSM nutritional supplements until demands are met, including AZO, Culturelle, Estroven and Ovega 3. iHealth makes hundreds of millions of dollars of profits for their multi-billion dollar parent company DSM Fermenich.

Teamster locals, New Haven Rising, New Haven Federation of Teachers and the Hamden Tenants union joined the picket to demand iHealth DM settle the contract and rehire the illegally fired workers .

“It is unfortunate that companies and the billionaire class see Trump’s administration as a chance to ignore Federal Labor Law, and get away with bullying workers at every opportunity,” said Lawrence Sanchez, Teamsters Local 671 member and fired i-Health striker.

“In the end, our battle is the same regardless of what union you are in. It is the same battle every union and worker fights when they decide to stand up for their rights,” he said to shouts of support.

After calling on the Legislature to pass SB 8 so make striking workers become eligible for unemployment insurance after two weeks, Rev. Scott Marks of New Haven Rising exclaimed,“We know this playbook. We will fight, and we will win!”

“Right now the rich people in charge–in Washington DC and in these companies–are trying to step on the necks of working people because they think they can get away with it.” said Eli Sabin, Ward 7 Alder. “But are we gonna let them?” he asked the crowd, to a resounding “NO!”