Workers at UPS, organized under the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, voted overwhelmingly, 97% in favor, to authorize a strike which may occur if contract negotiations fail on July 31. Over the past several days, workers have voted at Teamsters union halls and outside UPS facilities across the United States. As a result of this vote, workers have presented a credible strike threat to the company which provides significant leverage during negotiations.
If UPS does not acquiesce to workers’ core demands, such as higher pay for part-timers, more full-time jobs, and an end to the unfair “22.4” tiered labor system, workers will indeed strike on August 1. Their strike could have massive repercussions, as UPS workers move 6% of the GDP in the US. “UPS is the largest private sector union in this country and really can set the standards for everyone. It’s not a well-kept secret that once we get the best contract possible, which may not include having to strike, we’re planning on taking to Amazon and leading a unionization effort there,” Kyle, a UPS worker organized with the Teamsters for the last 12 years in West Chester, Pennsylvania, told Peoples Dispatch.
“The American working class and the American labor movement has been building over a long time, since it’s been destroyed since the Reagan era. A strike now by UPS would be tremendous,” said Jonathan Thomas, a UPS worker and Teamster since 2018 in the Bay Area, told Peoples Dispatch. “The Teamsters participating in this sort of strike would really propel the labor movement in the United States forward.”
Teamsters leaders have been making significant progress in contract negotiations. On June 13, the union announced that workers had won a tentative agreement on air conditioning in UPS trucks. This has become a significant working conditions issue as workers have died or gotten severely ill from hot temperatures during the summer. Last year, UPS workers posted viral photos of the astronomical temperatures inside of their trucks, some as high as 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Other package delivery giants, such as Fedex and DHL, have had air conditioning in their vehicles.
“If this multibillion-dollar corporation fails to deliver on the contract that our hardworking members deserve, UPS will be striking itself. The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it to ensure UPS acts accordingly,” said Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien in a public statement.
