UPS Contract Meeting
Click Link Below to see the National & Atlantic Area Supplement Proposed Changes
UPS TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS 2023-2028
Local UPS workers protest amid ongoing contract negotiations with shipping giant
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — United Parcel Service (UPS) workers in the mountains held an early-morning demonstration on Friday, June 30, as union leaders negotiated with company management over wages, working conditions, healthcare and pensions.
Photos show workers held signs that said, "Just practicing for a just contract," outside of the UPS Customer Centers in Hendersonville and Asheville before starting work for the day.
According to the Associated Press, the head of the union representing 340,000 UPS workers said a strike is imminent and gave the company a Friday deadline to improve its offer.
UPS TEAMSTERS VOTE TO AUTHORIZE STRIKE; SUMMER SERVICE DISRUPTIONS LOOM
“The largest single-employer strike in American history now appears inevitable,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a written statement on Wednesday, June 28. "Executives at UPS, some of whom get tens of millions of dollars a year, do not care about the hundreds of thousands of American workers who make this company run. They don’t care about our members’ families. UPS doesn’t want to pay up. Their actions and insults at the bargaining table have proven they are just another corporation that wants to keep all the money at the top. Working people who bust their asses every single day do not matter, not to UPS."
UPS said it presented a "significantly amended proposal to address key demands" on Wednesday.
"Reaching consensus requires time and serious, detailed discussion, but it also requires give-and-take from both sides," the company's written statement said, in part. "We’re working around the clock to reach an agreement that strengthens our industry-leading pay and benefits ahead of the current contract’s expiration on August 1. We remain at the table ready to negotiate."
Tommy Pintacuda, a spokesperson for Teamsters Local 61 in Asheville, said, for drivers who are a part of the union, a strike is something that’s on the table.
"We do not want to strike. We hope there’s not going to be a strike. But, we also have to have a fair contract, and that’s what we were out here demonstrating today," he said.
UPS delivers more than 24 million packages daily. Their current contract is set to expire on July 31, 2023.
President Greene Interviewed by Local Newspaper
UPS Drivers Threaten Strike Over Working Conditions
ON THE MOVE — UPS delivery driver Jason Ledford goes non-stop getting packages to doorsteps throughout Waynesville, pictured in this 2021 making a delivery at Waynesville Middle.
Your deliveries could be delayed if the threat of a strike by UPS workers comes to fruition.
The union that represents UPS workers — the International Brotherhood of Teamsters — voted in favor of a strike if a labor deal can’t be reached. The Western North Carolina chapter, Local 61, represents approximately 600 UPS drivers.
The WNC chapter approved the strike authorization with 96% of voting members in favor.
“We want better working conditions and less hours. We want what we deserve,” Local 61 President Mark Greene said. “They work really hard. It’s a brutal job. They’re out in the elements all day long.”
Greene called UPS “a very brutal company to work for.”
A potential strike could devastate the economy and bring many online purchasing platforms grind to a standstill. In 2022, UPS was second in parcel volume, trailing only the United States Postal Service. USPS carried 6.7 billion packages, UPS had 5.2 billion, Amazon had 4.8 billion and FedEx had 4.1 billion.
The union vote does not mean there will be a strike, however. UPS and Teamsters have until July 31 to reach a deal on a new labor contract.
“It’s really to get the company’s attention if they aren’t going to negotiate in good faith,” Greene said.
Greene doubts a strike will become a reality “because UPS doesn’t want that to happen either.”
UPS drivers routinely face tough work conditions. From extreme heat to long hours, drivers go through the wringer to get millions of package, delivered to millions of doorsteps every day.
Greene said that he could not discuss details of the negotiations so far, but did touch on the most recent development that has been made public.
On Wednesday, Teamsters announced that they had reached an agreement with UPS on air conditioning in vehicles, something desperately needed during the summer months.
“There have been people die from heat exhaustion that work for UPS,” Greene said. “That’s why we were working so hard to get air conditioning. The company is making billions and billions. Why wouldn’t they pass that on?”
The agreement would provide air conditioning in newly-purchased vehicles beginning Jan. 1, 2024. Two in-cab fans would be installed in vehicles after a new contract is ratified. Newer non-electric vehicles would also be fitted with exhaust heat shields.
The air conditioning concession seems to be a step in the right direction and just one reason that Greene is optimistic that negotiations will work in the right way.
“I think this will be the best contract ever negotiated for Teamsters,” Greene said. “Definitely the best since I joined the Teamsters 36 years ago.”
Aarik Long
Reporter
Strike Authorization Voting Results
TEAMSTERS AUTHORIZE STRIKE AT UPS
Teamsters Vote By 97 Percent to Strike If UPS Fails to Deliver Strong Contract
(WASHINGTON) – UPS Teamsters have voted by an overwhelming 97 percent to authorize a strike, giving the union maximum leverage to win demands at the bargaining table.
The powerful vote allows the UPS Teamsters National Negotiating Committee to call a strike should UPS fail to come to terms on a strong new contract by July 31, when the union’s current National Master Agreement expires. The Teamsters represent more than 340,000 UPS package delivery drivers and warehouse logistics workers nationwide.
“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. “The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it to ensure UPS acts accordingly.”
National negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS began April 17. Union representatives and rank-and-file members serve on the national negotiating committee.
The UPS Teamsters National Master Agreement is the largest private-sector contract in North America. Full- and part-time UPS Teamsters are working in lockstep for a new five-year agreement that guarantees higher wages for all workers, 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.
"This strike authorization vote sends a clear message to UPS that our members are damned and determined to take necessary action to secure a historic contract that respects their dedication and sacrifice," said Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman. “Our members are the backbone of UPS, and they are the reason this corporation hauled in more than $100 billion in revenue just last year. It’s time for UPS to pay up."
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
Strike Authorization Vote
UPS & T-Force Freight Members
Sunday, June 11th, 2023 from 1-5pm
Union Hall: 45 Sardis Rd. Asheville, NC 28806
Worksite meetings also being held. Ask your Steward for details!
Shop Stewards Seminar
With the help of the IBT Training & Development Dept., Local 61 hosted a Shop Stewards Training Seminar on April 15th, 2023.
We had an excellent turnout and want to give all our stewards who took the time out of their Saturday to make it to this event a huge thank you.
Paul Trujillo (IBT Training & Development), Karen Jones (IBT Historian & Trainer) & James Wright (International VP) were in attendance and taught our stewards an extensive history of the Teamsters Union and how to be an effective Shop Steward.
We ran a mock AAPGC panel to show our stewards what to expect if they are in attendance.
We heard a message from our International President, Sean O'Brien, about the importance of solidarity. President O'Brien updated us all on the UPS/IBT Contract negotiations.
We also heard a message from MaryBe McMillan, President of the NC State AFL-CIO, who was unable to attend. MaryBe told our stewards what all the AFL-CIO does for Labor in North Carolina and congratulated Local 61 on recent organizing victories.
Duncan Baker from Sounds Essential also presented our online grievance filing system that will be available soon to all our Members.
Thank you to all who attended and helped organize this event. It was a huge success!
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