The International Brotherhood of Teamsters warned Wednesday that UPS workers are poised to strike as negotiations so far have failed.
UPS has been negotiating with the Teamsters, representing some 340,000 workers, since April. Both came to an agreement on 55 non-economic issues on June 19, but are quickly approaching their Aug 1 deadline, which will prompt a strike. A supermajority of 97% of workers voted to strike if an agreement can’t be made.
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“Time has run out for UPS to give workers that honorable contract. The Teamsters repeatedly told the company from the beginning of this process that there would be no extensions,” Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman said in a statement, that called a strike ‘imminent.’ “But UPS has sat on its hands and chosen to turn its back on these workers. Come August 1, it’s going to be d*** hard for UPS to ignore us any longer.”
“We welcome the Teamsters’ urgency to get a ratified contract in place by August 1,” UPS said in a statement. “These negotiations affect our people, consumers and businesses across the country, which is a responsibility we take seriously. We’ve been negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement with the Teamsters, and the progress we have made to date reflects our shared commitment to this process.”
Delivery drivers make $95,000 a year on average in wages, and part-time union employees are paid on average $20 per hour after 30 days. The Teamsters called the latest counteroffer “appalling” because it included “minuscule raises and wage cuts to traditional cost-of-living adjustments.” UPS said its offer was “significantly amended.”
“We remain at the table ready to negotiate,” UPS said, claiming its negotiators were “working around the clock.”
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During the past 10 years, UPS added 120,000 Teamsters jobs. From August 2018 to December 2022, 38,000 part-time employees advanced to full-time positions in the company, and 55% of management, or 18,000 employees, advanced to union-represented positions.
Teamsters are aiming for an agreement by June 30.
