UPS Teamster members overwhelmingly approve strike authorization vote

Late last week, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) said that 97% of its members that work for Atlanta-based global freight transportation and logistics services provider UPS have signed off on authorizing a strike, which IBT said gives the union “maximum leverage to win demands at the bargaining table.”

This follows local unions representing UPS Teamsters conducting in-person voting for strike authorization earlier this month, as reported by LM.

The existing contract between UPS and its more than 340,000 UPS Teamster members is set to expire on July 31.

The Teamsters said late last week that this vote enables the UPS Teamsters National Negotiating Committee to call for a strike, in the event that the parties do not reach what it called a “strong new contract” by July 31.

“This vote shows that hundreds of thousands of Teamsters are united and determined to get the best contract in our history at UPS. If this multibillion-dollar corporation fails to deliver on the contract that our hardworking members deserve, UPS will be striking itself,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien in a statement. “The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it to ensure UPS acts accordingly.”

The Teamsters said that the UPS Teamsters National Master Agreement represents the largest private sector contract in North America. And it explained that its UPS Teamster members are working towards a new five-year agreement that guarantees higher wages, more full-time jobs, an end to forced overtime and harassment from management, elimination of a two-tier wage system, and protection from heat and other workplace hazards.

As for UPS, a company statement provided to LM said that the results of the Teamsters’ authorization vote do not mean a strike is imminent and do not impact the company’s business operations in any way.

“Authorization votes and approvals are normal steps in labor union negotiations,” said UPS. “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.” 

A supplemental update issued by the Teamsters on April 3 made it clear that much more ground needs to be covered for a deal to come to fruition.

In the update, the Teamsters said that it put UPS on notice during supplemental bargaining meetings throughout the country last week, refusing the “company’s outrageous insistence on cost-neutral agreements,” and adding that while some progress was made on various proposals by the union, the Teamsters also saw some disturbing backsliding by the company.

“As 11 supplemental negotiating committees held meetings with UPS last week, Teamster committee chairs continued to remind the company of the fast-approaching deadline,” said the Teamsters. “At the same time, UPS negotiators chose to either ignore economic proposals altogether or ask that such proposals be paid for with concessions elsewhere. All supplemental negotiating committees are holding firm against concessions while presenting proposals for more paid time off (sick days and holidays), stronger seniority and bidding language, improved grievance procedures, stronger language against subcontracting, and more. Teamster committees are getting regular support from the Package Division as the International Union pressures UPS to stop its delay tactics and wrap up supplements. Supplemental negotiating committees have made it clear to the company that UPS is delusional if it thinks there will be a cost-neutral contract after it raked in more than $13 billion in profit last year thanks to the hard work of our members.”

In a May 12 update, UPS said it continued to make what it called meaningful progress on the National Masters Agreement with the Teamsters, with both parties exchanging proposals on non-economic items at the main table, and five subcommittees met to advance discussions on key topics: safety & health, feeder (tractor-trailer) operations, package operations, air operations and inside operations.

And in a May 26 update, it said UPS and the Teamsters reached agreement on various key issues, including operating priorities, the use of technology and in-vehicle cameras—and advanced discussions on other topics.

On UPS’s fourth quarter earnings call earlier this year, CEO Carol Tomé made it clear where UPS is coming from, in advance of its negotiations with the Teamsters, noting that the Teamsters have been very important to the company for the better part of the last 100 years.

“Our approach with the Teamsters is a win, win, win for the Teamsters, win for our employees, and win for UPS and our customers,” she said. “I would submit that a win, win, win is very achievable because we are not far apart on the issues. And let me make this real for you by giving you a few examples. First, both Teamsters and UPS agree that a healthy and growing UPS is good, good for Teamsters, good for our people, and good for our customers. In fact, we've added more than 70,000 Teamster jobs since 2018. So, we're aligned that a growing and healthy UPS is good. To be growing and healthy, we need to be competitive and make sure that our offerings meet the needs of our customers.”

And she added that a lot has changed since the last time UPS negotiated its current contract with the Teamsters.

“[R]ecipients want their packages delivered when, where, and how they want them delivered, which means we can…delivery will become table stakes,” she said. “Teamsters fully acknowledge that but have worried about the pressures placed on our workforce with weekend operations. And they refer to that [as] the sixth punch, which is when people work six days a week. We share the same concerns. I don't want people working six days a week unless they want to. So, we're aligned on this. We just need to get to the bargaining table and work it out.”

This is not the first time UPS and the Teamsters have been in high-profile labor negotiations. In 1997, UPS Teamster workers went on strike for more than two weeks. Teamsters’ officials described that ordeal as a “high-stakes shutdown over Teamster jobs and benefits.” And they added that UPS wanted to take over members’ pensions, with management’s goal being to freeze pension benefits and replace pensions with 401k plans, while also noting that UPS wanted the right to increase subcontracting of good feeder jobs. Low-wage part-time jobs were on the rise.

At a January Teamsters meeting of the UPS National Screening Committee in Washington, DC, O’Brien made it clear that the Teamsters are focused on getting a new deal done—and getting what they want out of a new deal.

“We’re going into these negotiations with a clear message to UPS that we’re not going past August 1,” O’Brien said. “We have to deal with 22.4s, PVDs, subcontracting, part-time wages and other issues that we’re taking a hard line on with the company.” 

An industry consultant told LM that it seems that UPS feels this potential strike is a very real possibility, but they are controlling the messaging to not insinuate fear amongst their customers.

“Carol Tome indicated ‘Our goal with the teamsters is win- win- win,’ while also mentioning they are ‘building contingency plans,’” he said. “To me, this means they are hoping for the best, but also planning for the worst (strike). Although the strike of 1997 occurred over 20 years ago, many shippers have not forgotten. Based on the current uncertainty within the industry, I believe UPS truly feels the pressure of this possible strike, but they are not trying to worry shippers in fear of many building their own contingencies in preparation.”