July 14 (UPI) — With the deadline of August 1st looming for UPS to reach a bargaining agreement with its 340,000 Teamsters workers, the company has announced that it will train non-union employees in an effort to preempt a potential strike and maintain its operations.
In a statement, UPS expressed its commitment to ensuring the delivery of packages to customers even if the Teamsters decide to strike: “While we have made significant progress and are nearing an agreement, as a crucial service provider, we have a responsibility to take precautionary measures to guarantee package delivery.”
Teamsters President Sean M. O’Brien, during his visit to New Jersey in preparation for the August 1st strike, stated on the Teamsters Facebook page: “UPS has 18 days to come to their senses or they will face a strike. UPS Teamsters are prepared to take to the picket lines.”
O’Brien asserts that UPS can avoid a strike by presenting a fair contract to its dedicated workers who are essential for UPS’s operations.
Under an amendment to the National Labor Relations Act during the Truman administration, companies are allowed to temporarily replace striking employees under specific circumstances.
Labor unions perceive this as companies hiring replacement workers to undermine strikes and continue their operations.
In its statement regarding the training of non-union employees, UPS emphasized its commitment to reaching a mutually beneficial agreement with the Teamsters before August 1st. UPS assured that the temporary training plan does not impact its current operations or the exceptional service provided by its employees to customers.
Both the Teamsters and UPS have attributed the breakdown in labor contract negotiations to the other party.
On Tuesday, Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman will join Local 89 President Avral Thompson and union members at the UPS Louisville transport hub for a rally demanding a fair contract.
Local 89 highlighted on Facebook: “As national strike preparations continue, UPS Teamsters in Louisville are united, organized, and ready to stop working. These hardworking Teamsters risked their lives during the pandemic to keep Americans safe in their homes, enabling UPS to generate historic profits. Now it is time for UPS to fulfill their obligation. In just 17 days, they will realize how essential our members truly are.”
When the talks broke down on July 5th, Teamsters President Sean M. O’Brien reported that UPS had stated it had no further concessions to offer in the negotiations.
He expressed his frustration, saying, “This multibillion-dollar corporation has plenty to offer American workers, they simply choose not to.”
Although agreements have been reached on 55 non-economic issues, the contract negotiations have currently stalled, according to the Teamsters.
Tentative agreements have been made to address forced overtime on drivers’ days off, to increase wages for drivers with non-traditional Monday-Friday shifts, and to establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday.
An earlier agreement was also reached regarding the installation of air conditioning in delivery trucks.
Tim Morris, the Executive Director of the Greater Louisville Central Labor Council, cautioned that a strike by the 340,000 Teamsters at UPS would have widespread repercussions. He stated, “The supply chain, as we have witnessed throughout the global pandemic, is extremely fragile, and UPS employees constitute a significant portion of that supply chain,” he explained.
The last time the Teamsters went on strike against UPS was in 1997 when their membership was only half of what it is today.
That strike had a substantial impact on the economy and cost UPS $5 million per day.
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