33 Days and Counting
After years of unsafe working conditions, forced overtime, and part-time poverty wages it was no surprise that the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) voted by 97% to strike on August 1, 2023 if there is no tentative agreement on the union contract between IBT & the United Parcel Service (UPS). The last time the Teamsters went on strike was in 1997 and it was over many similar issues outlined in points of contention in the current contract fight: basic health & safety protocols, job security & fair pay.
The 1997 Teamsters UPS strike cost the company millions of dollars and lasted for 15 days. In current contract negotiations with the company, IBT President Sean O’Brien warns UPS not to repeat history.
The IBT’s clear demonstrations of the power of a democratized workplace and the threat of a looming, authorized strike have resulted in contract negotiations moving swiftly since starting on April 14. As of June 24, the IBT national negotiations committee made significant progress and reached 55, non-economic tentative agreements, securing various pieces of a stronger contract.
These tentative agreements cover things like:
Excessive Overtime
8-hour requests can be submitted three working days in advance
8-hour request violation penalties doubled to two double-time hours
Penalties for 9.5 violations increased to up to quadruple time
Forced sixth punch is still being negotiated
Surveillance
No driver facing-cameras; no driver-facing video or audio recording
Outward-facing cameras can not be used for discipline except in case of a major accident
No discipline, not even a warning letter, can be issued based solely on technology
No drones or driverless vehicles, platooning, or shifting without negotiating with the union
Air Conditioning & Heat Issues
All new package cars after January 1, 2024 will be equipped with A/C
28,000 package cars with air conditioning over the life of the contract
A fan installed in every package car within 30 days of new contract.
Two fans installed in every package car by June 2024
Package cars retrofitted with heat shields and air induction vents within 18 months
More ice machines and drinking fountains
Read the full update from UPS Teamsters United here.
The Teamsters’ negotiation breakthroughs on health and safety have been historic. But they shouldn’t have had to fight so hard.
UPS, a global company with record-breaking profits that brought in $100.3 billion in collective revenue in 2022, has had the money and resources to prevent worker injury or death on the job from heat-related causes. So, why hasn’t UPS implemented safety protocols until now?
We can safely assume it’s the same reason Amazon workers are likely to be injured on the job at over double the rate of non-Amazon warehouses. Or, why 49 Dollar General workers have died from work-related hazards since 2014.
These dangerous and sometimes deadly working environments all have the same common denominator: corporate greed.
From service workers to teachers, delivery drivers to baristas – all workers deserve dignified working environments and to make it home safely from every shift. The UPS Teamsters’ contract negotiations are setting this precedent in the logistics industry and beyond.
Negotiations have now shifted to economics: wages, benefits, and more. The clear disregard for the lives and care of UPS workers is why the Teamsters refuse to sacrifice their members’ needs to satisfy UPS’s bottom line. UPS Teamsters’ negotiating committee recently walked away from the bargaining table when UPS presented their economic proposal. A tweet from the IBT National Twitter account says it all:
Later that day tweeting:
As economic negotiations continue the importance of this contract fight is clear. Wages, dignity, and safety are on the line.