UPS Workers Say a Strike Is 'Inevitable,' Would Be Largest Single-Employer Strike in U.S. History The Teamsters gave UPS until Friday to submit their "best" and "final" offer.
By Madeline Garfinkle •
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UPS workers have authorized their union, the Teamsters, to strike with an "overwhelming" 97% vote in favor, the organization announced in mid-June.
Now, the union is saying a strike is imminent. The Teamsters said that after stepping away from the bargaining table with UPS on Tuesday, it gave the company until Friday to return with its "last, best, and final offer."
"The largest single-employer strike in American history now appears inevitable," said Teamsters president Sean M. O'Brien in a statement on Wednesday. "Executives at UPS, some of whom get tens of millions of dollars a year, do not care about the hundreds of thousands of American workers who make this company run."
Despite reaching a consensus on 55 non-economic matters with the Teamsters on June 19, the union says UPS remains committed to pursuing a cost-neutral contract during the negotiations. This week, UPS presented a highly disappointing counterproposal to the union's financial package, offering "minuscule" wage increases.
The strike could happen as soon as August 1st if a deal is not made.
Meanwhile, earlier in June, the Teamsters reached a tentative agreement with the company to address one of the main pain points workers have been advocating for — air conditioning.
"The Teamsters and UPS agreed to tentative language to equip the delivery and logistics company's fleet of vehicles with air conditioning systems, new heat shields, and additional fans," the union tweeted on June 13th and was also confirmed in a press release by UPS.
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— Teamsters (@Teamsters) June 13, 2023
BREAKING: TEAMSTERS SECURE AIR CONDITIONING FOR UPS FLEET IN MAJOR TENTATIVE DEAL
The #Teamsters and UPS agreed to tentative language to equip the delivery and logistics company's fleet of vehicles with air conditioning systems, new heat shields, and additional fans. pic.twitter.com/GJ3iw8evRO
Under the agreement, all new vehicles purchased after January 1, 2024, will be equipped with air conditioning. Additionally, cab fans will be added to package cars "within thirty days of contract ratification."
Original story below:
UPS' unionized workers, represented by the Teamsters, are holding a vote on Monday to authorize a strike against the company, CNN reported. More than 330,000 members are participating in the vote and, if the strike happens, it would be the largest strike of workers from one employer in the country's history.
The existing contract between workers and UPS expires on August 1, and in a new agreement, workers are demanding better working conditions (including having air conditioning in delivery trucks) and an increase in pay, considering UPS profits have soared over the past five years from a net income of $6.3 billion in 2018 to $11.3 billion in 2022.
"Our members worked really hard over the pandemic," Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz told The AP. "They need to see their fair share."
According to CNN, the Teamsters and UPS have been negotiating since early May and have already tentatively agreed on 24 issues presented, however, there are still some left to hash out.
"When you get into the meat and potatoes of wages and benefits, things can get very dicey, very controversial," Teamster president Sean O'Brien told the outlet.
UPS reps told Entrepreneur that an agreement is likely on the horizon.
"We are pleased that we are making steady progress with the Teamsters on a wide array of topics," a spokesperson said. "UPS is focused on reaching a deal that is a win for our employees, the Teamsters, UPS, and our customers – and we're committed to doing that before the end of July."
UPS ships nearly 24 million packages daily, which is about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume and accounts for nearly 6% of the country's gross domestic product, according to data firm Pitney Bowes, per The AP.
If UPS's nearly 350,000 unionized workers strike, it could trigger widespread supply chain issues which could impact retailers who have just recently rebounded from the supply chain constraints imposed by the pandemic.
Related: Hollywood Actors Vote 98% to Strike if 'Fair Deal' Isn't Met By June 30
Meanwhile, as talk of a pending strike looms, UPS stock was down about 18% on Monday morning as compared to the company's peak in August.
