ATLANTA – The Teamsters Union of United Parcel Service workers has ended negotiations with UPS for today as the deadline for a settlement or a possible strike approaches.
The deadline for negotiations on the union contracts ends on Wednesday.
According to a Teamsters Union press release, failure to reach an agreement will not hurt workers but will have an impact on the American supply chain.
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Using strong language, the Teamsters said that UPS “is on the verge of causing major damage to our supply chain” as negotiations continue.
The union is demanding higher wages and pension increases for its members but said company leaders had not met with them for several hours.
The Teamsters have given UPS until 8 a.m. Wednesday to reach a final agreement on the new interim contract, otherwise they risk a workers’ strike.
“The Teamsters are always ready and we are prepared for every negotiation session. UPS, on the other hand, appears to need special treatment,” said Teamsters Union Secretary-General and Treasurer Fred Zuckerman. “We’re not just going to sit around and wait for their side to decide. Our members don’t deserve that. UPS needs to find some more bustle in these final hours if they still have any hope.”
Should the treaty not go through, the International Brother Hood of Teamsters would vote to start a nationwide strike, meaning potentially more than 340,000 workers could stop work until a deal is reached.
Union leaders said it could be the largest strike in US history.
“The largest single employer strike in American history now seems inevitable,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien earlier. “UPS executives, some of whom make tens of millions of dollars a year, don’t care about the hundreds of thousands of American workers who keep the company running. They don’t care about our members’ families. UPS doesn’t want to pay. Their actions and insults at the negotiating table have proven that they are just another corporation trying to keep all the money at the top. Working people who work their ass off every day don’t matter to UPS.”
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Earlier comments from UPS said they had changed their contract proposal to meet “important demands” from the union.
Expanding on its comments, UPS said, “Reaching consensus takes time and serious, detailed discussion, but it also requires give and take on both sides.” We’re working around the clock to reach an agreement that will strengthens our industry-leading wages and benefits before the current contract expires on August 1.”
In mid-June, UPS agreed to install air conditioning in work trucks and other vehicles to help manage the heat its drivers and workers are exposed to. However, this was just a requirement that the union included in their new contract.
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