United Parcel Service became embroiled in potentially groundbreaking union action on Friday. Members of the renowned International Brotherhood of Teamsters union voted 97% in favor of a strike in August, pending contract talks between UPS and the union spokespersons.The Teamsters’ members working at UPS amount to a giant 340,000 drivers and warehouse logistics workers, bringing the possibility of the largest single American company strike since records began.
United and Determined
In the TEAMSTER News newsletter on Friday, the headline read, “Teamsters Vote By 97 Percent to Strike if UPS Fails to Deliver Strong Contract.” The newsletter reveals how the union’s “current National Master Agreement” is set to expire on July 31, with a new contract offer expected before then. Newsletter author and Teamsters official Kara Deniz quoted Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien.
“This vote shows that hundreds of thousands of Teamsters are united and determined to get the best contract in our history at UPS,” said O’Brien. “If this multi billion-dollar corporation fails to deliver on the contract that our hard-working members deserve, UPS will be striking itself.”
Air Conditioning for Delivery Drivers
He declared that the union’s labor power remains their best leverage, and they aren’t afraid of using it “to ensure UPS acts accordingly.” Central to negotiations is a push for air conditioning in the 95,000-strong UPS delivery van fleet. A lack of air conditioning, argues the union, is a major health concern for its members.
Temperatures of more than 120 degrees have been recorded in some van cargo departments, which sparked several regulatory citations from workplace safety officials.
One Life Lost to Heat Conditions
One investigation with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) involves a Texan UPS driver losing their life in heat-related circumstances. Not all vans will require retrofitting, and the signs are that there is an agreement between the two parties on future UPS vans having air conditioning. Union members hope to be given safer conditions moving forward.
Record Profits Never Shared
Furthermore, wages are also a key issue in the negotiations, with at least 40 separate worker-related topics on the table. While the Teamsters are reluctant to reveal their desired wage increase, they point to UPS profits almost doubling during the contract’s five-year period from $6.3 billion to $11.3 billion.
$140 Million Solution
The pandemic drove record delivery quotas for UPS drivers, driven by a surge in online sales and less customer mobility. However, UPS profits fell this quarter compared to the same period a year ago. The current wage gap between UPS staff is also part of discussions, with an estimated $140 million as the estimated price of a wage-gap overhaul(a 0.2% increase in the current operating structure expenditure).
A “Win-Win-Win” Contract Very Achievable
UPS posted on its website that the vote results “do not mean a strike is imminent and do not impact our current business operations in any way.” They added, “We continue to make progress on key issues and remain confident that we will reach an agreement that provides wins for our employees, the Teamsters, our company, and our customers.”
Striking Season
This announcement comes in light of other strikes that have recently spread across the nation, with the Writer’s Guild of America, university workers, and journalists all participating in recent union action. It remains to be seen whether the agreement will be found, though, in April, UPS CEO Carol Tome showed confidence in the process, talking of a “win-win-win” contract being “very achievable.”
Animosity and Anger
However, O’Brien is coy on whether he thinks a strike will happen, considering the relationship between the union members and the company and within the union itself. Moreover, there is still much distrust within the Teamsters’ ranks.
“There is a lot of animosity and anger not just during the last contract but what happened during the pandemic,” revealed O’Brien in a news interview last week. “They weren’t rewarded as UPS made record profits.”
