Washington DC – Fred Zuckerman, Principal Officer of Teamsters Local 89 and previous reform candidate to head the IBT sent an open letter blasting the Hoffa administration’s threats to ignore the UPS Teamsters contract vote. At the UPS National Grievance Panel, on Oct. 3, Denis Taylor, lead negotiator for Teamsters, stated the negotiating committee’s might ratify the UPS contract in the event it was voted down by the membership.

The negotiating committee would be able to do this by using an interpretation of Article XII, Section 2 (d)(2) of the Teamsters constitution. The article gives the negotiating committee the ability to either ratify or renegotiate the contract in the event less than 50% of the membership casts votes and less than a two-thirds majority votes the contract down.

The International used this article in 2013 to push through the Local 89 Air Rider despite the overwhelming disapproval from Local 89’s members. “”At the that time, I never imagined a day would come wherein the IBT would expand upon that travesty and strip every IBT member employed at UPS of his/her right to the democratic process.” said Fred Zuckerman.

Zuckerman also raised questions over the threat from Denis Taylor, “ 'why would Denis Taylor and the IBT choose to implement a substandard agreement(s) instead of continuing negotiations for improvements?' Why would anyone in their right mind settle on a clearly unpopular final offer, when they have the authority to negotiate for a better one? “

The vote count will take place Friday, Oct. 5th at 8 P.M. Eastern Standard Time. Voting results will be broadcasted live by teleconference, dial 866-767-0669, or online, visit http://ibt.io/UPSvotecount

Here is the Teamsters United petition for the IBT to resume negations in the event of a no vote: http://www.upsteamstersunited.org/majority-rules

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