UPS is set to resume negotiations with the Teamsters union next week in a final attempt to prevent a strike. The current contract between UPS and the Teamsters union, which represents 340,000 UPS workers, is scheduled to expire on July 31.
July 19 (UPI) — UPS will head back to the negotiating table next week after the company reached out to the Teamsters union in a last-ditch effort to avert a strike next month.
“We are pleased to be back at the negotiating table next week to resolve the few remaining open issues,” UPS said in a statement on Wednesday.
“We are prepared to increase our industry-leading pay and benefits, but need to work quickly to finalize a fair deal that provides certainty for our customers, our employees, and businesses across the country.”
The Teamsters union also confirmed that negotiations would resume next week in a tweet, expressing that UPS had yielded to pressure from their members.
“As thousands of UPS Teamsters practice picket, rally, and mobilize around the country, UPS bowed today to the overwhelming show of Teamster unity and reached out to the union to resume negotiations,” the union stated on Wednesday.
97% of UPS Teamster members have authorized a strike if they do not receive the “strongest possible contract” in the coming weeks. The current contract is set to expire on July 31.
Delivery and warehouse logistics workers across the country are advocating for a new five-year agreement that ensures better pay, an increase in the number of full-time jobs, addresses safety concerns related to heat illness, and provides protection against managerial harassment.
In response to the potential strike, UPS has announced its intention to train non-union workers to continue operations while negotiations are ongoing.
“While we have made significant progress and are close to reaching an agreement, as an essential service provider, we have a responsibility to take measures to ensure the delivery of our customers’ packages in the event of a strike by the Teamsters,” UPS stated on Friday.
Talks between UPS and the Teamsters broke down on July 5 after an extensive negotiating session during the July 4 weekend. Teamsters President Sean M. O’Brien claimed that UPS, a company that earned over $100 billion last year, stated they had nothing more to offer.
“This multi-billion-dollar corporation has the resources to support American workers, but they simply refuse to do so,” O’Brien remarked.
While pay and benefits remain contentious issues, both parties have reached agreement on 55 non-economic matters, including air-conditioning for delivery trucks and no forced overtime for drivers on their days off.
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