UPS is Louisville's largest employer. Teamsters are fed up with the company’s mistreatment
Avral Thompson
Mon, July 24, 2023
The national collective bargaining agreement for 340,000 Teamsters who work at UPS expires one week from today. With the possibility of a strike looming, UPS’s corporate propaganda machine is desperately trying to convince the public that UPS is a caring and compassionate company. UPS’s management team would have you believe they treat employees with the utmost respect, and that the leadership of the Teamsters Union is simply being unreasonable in our contract demands.
Nothing could be further from the truth. UPS Teamsters are fed up with this company’s mistreatment, and they are driving a national fight to get the contract they deserve.
UPS is the largest employer in the city of Louisville, Kentucky. Almost everyone in the Louisville-metro area has either worked at UPS or knows someone who has. In that case, you’ve likely heard about the "Big Brown Lie": UPS claims to care about workers, but UPS Teamsters are just lines on a profit margin spreadsheet. UPS views hardworking Teamsters as fodder for the corporate machine, only designed to make executives and shareholders richer.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Teamsters were deemed essential to the economic survival of the U.S., especially our members at UPS. While many workplaces shut down and people quarantined at home, UPS Teamsters kept working, risking their safety and lives to make sure packages were delivered.
E-commerce exploded during this time, making UPS more profitable than ever — all because Teamsters continued to go to work, reliably and selflessly. In April 2021, UPS reported its adjusted operating profit in the U.S. had grown more than 273%, and their international operating profit was up almost 97%. These are record profits for a company that’s over a century old. Last year alone, UPS made $100 billion revenue.
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How were Teamsters rewarded for putting their health on the line during the pandemic?
What did UPS, the largest shipping company in the U.S., do for these essential workers who provided the backbreaking labor that drove those profits and steadied the nation?
UPS hung banners outside facility gates that said, “Heroes Work Here.” But those heroes didn’t get hazard pay or a share of those record profits. In some areas UPS implemented “Market Rate Adjustments” to raise starting pay to attract new hires, but in many cases, those were later removed. This introduced chaos, causing new workers to make the same or nearly as much as Teamsters who had been working at UPS for many years. UPS did nothing to show any appreciation for the Teamsters who’ve devoted decades of their lives to this company.
Sadly, UPS’s unappreciative attitude toward Teamsters during and after the pandemic was nothing new. In fact, as a public relations talking point, UPS brags about benefits offered to union workers, but intentionally ignores that those benefits only exist because Teamsters fought for and won them at the bargaining table over many years. UPS managers conveniently don’t mention that they must hire hundreds of new workers almost every week to replace the never-ending stream of employees who quit out of frustration over low starting pay, lack of hours, and the company’s physical, exhausting working conditions.
Avral Thompson, President of Teamsters 89, at the a UPS workers rally
Teamsters at UPS aren’t asking for the moon.
They’re asking to participate in the massive profit that their labor creates for UPS. Our long-term part-time members just want the opportunity to live a decent and happy life. They want a life where they don’t have to struggle day-to-day or depend on food banks for a hot meal. Teamsters deserve better from UPS. Louisville deserves better from UPS.
We hope UPS will come to an agreement this week that gives rank-and-file UPS Teamsters the respect, dignity, and stability of life they deserve. A work stoppage is always a last resort, but UPS Teamsters won’t hesitate to strike if that’s what it takes to make this company share the wealth with the people who work to create it.
To everyone reading this, please know that UPS is fully aware that our members rightly deserve what they’re asking for. This corporation is more than capable of delivering a fair contract with the wages, benefits and conditions our members deserve. If a strike happens at UPS after July 31, it will be because UPS failed its workforce and refused to do the right thing.
More UPS News: UPS eliminates Friday day shifts at Worldport facility in Louisville. What it means for workers
Avral Thompson is the President of Teamsters Local 89
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Teamsters are fed up with UPS mistreatment, ready to strike for wages
Eleventh-hour negotiations and a looming strike: How UPS and the Teamsters got here
Matthew Glowicki and Olivia Evans,
Matthew Glowicki and Olivia Evans,
Louisville Courier Journal
Mon, July 24, 2023
UPS and the Teamsters union representing some 340,000 UPS employees nationwide are rapidly approaching the end of their national contract, which expires at midnight July 31.
There’s been much back-and-forth this summer as the deadline approaches, though a recent stalemate appears to be lifted, with the sides set to return to the bargaining table during the last week of July.
As contract talks get down to the wire and threat of a nationwide strike draws near, take a look back at the negotiation process between the shipping and logistics giant and the union, which represents some 10,000 workers in the Louisville Metro area.
A looming UPS strike: How we got here
UPS workers rallied in front of the UPS Centennial Hub ahead of a potential strike on August 1st. July 18, 2023
August 2022: UPS Teamsters (the union representing UPS rank-and-file workers) issue a call-to-action campaign one year ahead of the July 31, 2023, contract expiration. The campaign launch coincides with the 25th anniversary of the 1997 UPS Teamsters strike. That 15-day strike by some 185,000 workers was the most recent time the UPS Teamsters went on a nationwide strike.
March: Regional unions begin the bargaining process with UPS over supplemental contracts for their employees. Teamsters wanted the 40 supplement contracts to be tentatively agreed to before national negotiations began. Most were completed before national negotiations, but a few remained, including the Louisville Air Rider supplement.
April 17: National negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters begin.
June 13: The sides reached a tentative deal on air conditioning, including air conditioning systems, new heat shields and fans for the company’s vehicle fleet.
June 16: With 97% of union members voting, Teamsters pass a strike authorization vote, allowing the union to strike if deemed necessary.
June 19: UPS and the Teamsters reach consensus on 55 non-economic issues and turn attention to economic aspects.
June 22: UPS presents counterproposal to the Teamsters’ initial economic contract. Teamsters call it an “appalling” response.
Late June: Tentative agreements are reached on all supplemental contracts, including for the final two UPS locations: Louisville and Northern California.
June 28: Teamsters Local 89 members in Louisville hold a practice picket, part of a national call for UPS Teamsters to hit the practice picket lines. Local union leadership says strike would be a 24/7 operation at Worldport, with its approximate 10,000 union members rotating picket line shifts.
UPS union members hold a practice strike outside Worldport, the largest sorting and logistics facility in America Wednesday morning in Louisville, Ky. The Teamsters Local 89 represents around 10,000 members in Louisville. Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien called for practice pickets nationwide after claiming UPS presented an "appalling economic counterproposal" to the Teamsters during national negotiations for a new labor contract. June 28, 2023More
Teamsters Local 89 UPS members in Louisville voted 99% in favor of authorizing strike action, indicating their willingness to strike.
June 28: UPS Teamsters walk from the national bargaining table and demand UPS present its last, best and final offer by June 30.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters declares a nationwide strike “is imminent."
June 30: UPS gives the Teamsters a revised counterproposal the union said had “significant movement on wages and other economic language,” persuading the Teamsters to return to the bargaining table.
UPS pledges to reach a new contract by July 5.
July 1: Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien says the July 5 deadline is important to hit to give the union time to ratify the contract ahead of the July 31 expiration. The union leader says Teamsters won’t work past July without a fully ratified contract.
FILE - President Joe Biden, center left, talks with Teamsters union President Sean O'Brien, facing, after he spoke about strengthening the supply chain with improvements in the trucking industry, April 4, 2022, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. The head of the Teamsters said Sunday, July 16, 2023, that he has asked the White House not to intervene if unionized UPS workers end up going on strike. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)More
The union announces it reached a tentative agreement with UPS on stopping forced overtime on drivers' days off, making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a paid holiday and ending a two-tier wage system the union said was unfair to drivers who are not classified as full time.
July 5: Teamsters and UPS end contract talks around 4 a.m., unable to reach agreement on a new five-year contract. Both sides say the other walked from the negotiations. No date is given to resume talks.
Local leaders talk possible UPS strike: Kentucky and Louisville leaders push for 'amicable resolution' to prevent UPS strike
Mid July: UPS starts “continuity training” for non-union employees ahead of a possible strike. These non-union workers are likely to see additional workload expectations should a strike occur.
July 17: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says the White House is "confident both sides are going to come to an agreement" and doesn’t plan to intervene.
Fred Zuckerman, General Secretary-Treasurer, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, was talking to UPS workers were at rally at 9:15 a.m. at UPS Worldport ahead of a potential strike on August 1st. July 18, 2023
July 18: Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman leads rallies at Louisville Centennial Hub and UPS Worldport — the largest sorting and logistics facility in the U.S. — as part of a nationwide rally tour. He says the contract is 90% complete and that remaining hold-ups are over part-time workers.
July 19: Twelve days ahead of their contract expiration with UPS, Teamsters say negotiations would resume the following week.
July 21: Contract negotiations are set to resume July 25, the Teamsters announce.
Possible UPS Teamsters union strike: 5 things to know if a strike happens
July 31: At midnight, the contract between UPS and Teamsters will expire. If an agreement isn’t reached, Teamsters are set to strike, triggering what would be the largest single-employer strike in U.S. history.
Teamsters leadership has said as long as a full tentative agreement is reached by midnight July 31, union members would work during the approximate three-week ratification period.
Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on Twitter at @oliviamevans_. Growth & development reporter Matthew Glowicki can be reached at mglowicki@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4000 or on Twitter @mattglo.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: UPS, Teamsters contract negotiations: How we got here
Mon, July 24, 2023
UPS and the Teamsters union representing some 340,000 UPS employees nationwide are rapidly approaching the end of their national contract, which expires at midnight July 31.
There’s been much back-and-forth this summer as the deadline approaches, though a recent stalemate appears to be lifted, with the sides set to return to the bargaining table during the last week of July.
As contract talks get down to the wire and threat of a nationwide strike draws near, take a look back at the negotiation process between the shipping and logistics giant and the union, which represents some 10,000 workers in the Louisville Metro area.
A looming UPS strike: How we got here
UPS workers rallied in front of the UPS Centennial Hub ahead of a potential strike on August 1st. July 18, 2023
August 2022: UPS Teamsters (the union representing UPS rank-and-file workers) issue a call-to-action campaign one year ahead of the July 31, 2023, contract expiration. The campaign launch coincides with the 25th anniversary of the 1997 UPS Teamsters strike. That 15-day strike by some 185,000 workers was the most recent time the UPS Teamsters went on a nationwide strike.
March: Regional unions begin the bargaining process with UPS over supplemental contracts for their employees. Teamsters wanted the 40 supplement contracts to be tentatively agreed to before national negotiations began. Most were completed before national negotiations, but a few remained, including the Louisville Air Rider supplement.
April 17: National negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters begin.
June 13: The sides reached a tentative deal on air conditioning, including air conditioning systems, new heat shields and fans for the company’s vehicle fleet.
June 16: With 97% of union members voting, Teamsters pass a strike authorization vote, allowing the union to strike if deemed necessary.
June 19: UPS and the Teamsters reach consensus on 55 non-economic issues and turn attention to economic aspects.
June 22: UPS presents counterproposal to the Teamsters’ initial economic contract. Teamsters call it an “appalling” response.
Late June: Tentative agreements are reached on all supplemental contracts, including for the final two UPS locations: Louisville and Northern California.
June 28: Teamsters Local 89 members in Louisville hold a practice picket, part of a national call for UPS Teamsters to hit the practice picket lines. Local union leadership says strike would be a 24/7 operation at Worldport, with its approximate 10,000 union members rotating picket line shifts.
UPS union members hold a practice strike outside Worldport, the largest sorting and logistics facility in America Wednesday morning in Louisville, Ky. The Teamsters Local 89 represents around 10,000 members in Louisville. Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien called for practice pickets nationwide after claiming UPS presented an "appalling economic counterproposal" to the Teamsters during national negotiations for a new labor contract. June 28, 2023More
Teamsters Local 89 UPS members in Louisville voted 99% in favor of authorizing strike action, indicating their willingness to strike.
June 28: UPS Teamsters walk from the national bargaining table and demand UPS present its last, best and final offer by June 30.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters declares a nationwide strike “is imminent."
June 30: UPS gives the Teamsters a revised counterproposal the union said had “significant movement on wages and other economic language,” persuading the Teamsters to return to the bargaining table.
UPS pledges to reach a new contract by July 5.
July 1: Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien says the July 5 deadline is important to hit to give the union time to ratify the contract ahead of the July 31 expiration. The union leader says Teamsters won’t work past July without a fully ratified contract.
FILE - President Joe Biden, center left, talks with Teamsters union President Sean O'Brien, facing, after he spoke about strengthening the supply chain with improvements in the trucking industry, April 4, 2022, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. The head of the Teamsters said Sunday, July 16, 2023, that he has asked the White House not to intervene if unionized UPS workers end up going on strike. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)More
The union announces it reached a tentative agreement with UPS on stopping forced overtime on drivers' days off, making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a paid holiday and ending a two-tier wage system the union said was unfair to drivers who are not classified as full time.
July 5: Teamsters and UPS end contract talks around 4 a.m., unable to reach agreement on a new five-year contract. Both sides say the other walked from the negotiations. No date is given to resume talks.
Local leaders talk possible UPS strike: Kentucky and Louisville leaders push for 'amicable resolution' to prevent UPS strike
Mid July: UPS starts “continuity training” for non-union employees ahead of a possible strike. These non-union workers are likely to see additional workload expectations should a strike occur.
July 17: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says the White House is "confident both sides are going to come to an agreement" and doesn’t plan to intervene.
Fred Zuckerman, General Secretary-Treasurer, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, was talking to UPS workers were at rally at 9:15 a.m. at UPS Worldport ahead of a potential strike on August 1st. July 18, 2023
July 18: Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman leads rallies at Louisville Centennial Hub and UPS Worldport — the largest sorting and logistics facility in the U.S. — as part of a nationwide rally tour. He says the contract is 90% complete and that remaining hold-ups are over part-time workers.
July 19: Twelve days ahead of their contract expiration with UPS, Teamsters say negotiations would resume the following week.
July 21: Contract negotiations are set to resume July 25, the Teamsters announce.
Possible UPS Teamsters union strike: 5 things to know if a strike happens
July 31: At midnight, the contract between UPS and Teamsters will expire. If an agreement isn’t reached, Teamsters are set to strike, triggering what would be the largest single-employer strike in U.S. history.
Teamsters leadership has said as long as a full tentative agreement is reached by midnight July 31, union members would work during the approximate three-week ratification period.
Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on Twitter at @oliviamevans_. Growth & development reporter Matthew Glowicki can be reached at mglowicki@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4000 or on Twitter @mattglo.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: UPS, Teamsters contract negotiations: How we got here
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