Teamsters reach tentative agreement with UPS for 2023-2028 contract
On Tuesday, July 25, the Teamsters reached a tentative agreement for the UPS 2023-2028 contract which covers 340,000 workers across the country. The agreement follows a rank-and-file campaign for a strong contract that resulted in a 97% strike authorization vote in June, and practice pickets all around the country in July in the lead up to a potential national strike on August 1.
In their negotiations and strike readiness campaign the Teamsters were fighting against decades of concessions from the previous administration under the leadership of Jimmy Hoffa Jr. Tired of givebacks, members elected new leadership that put Sean O'Brien at the top spot in 2021. After months of actions at UPS hubs around the country by rank-and-file Teamsters and massive worker rallies in New York and Los Angeles, UPS gave in to Teamster pressure on July 19 and asked to come back to the negotiation table, in the face of an impending strike.
In the new agreement, full-time workers at UPS won the elimination of a second-tier lower wage class of drivers. They also won air conditioning in package cars, and language against forcing drivers to work six days a week. Part-time workers won between a 33% and 55% wage increase over the course of the contract depending on years of service, more full-time jobs and an opportunity to do seasonal work that was previously offered to people off the street. All UPS Teamsters won MLK day as a paid holiday.
“We, the militant Teamsters, forced the company to bend. They would've given us nothing, but we stood strong and fought for every single gain in this contract. Solidarity made this happen and we're just getting started,” said Adam Gerardo, a cover driver from Local 512 in Jacksonville, Florida.
UPS Teamsters will vote on the tentative agreement by mail between August 3 and August 22.