The 2023 Teamster/UPS Contract negotiations are here and every class in the U.S. is watching them like a hawk. Workers want to see a serious blow struck against a massive corporation and the ruling class wants to see an increasingly militant labor movement put down. The last time we saw a showdown like this at UPS was in 1997 when the Teamsters under Ron Carey struck and defeated the company. Every contract negotiation after that was increasingly weak and concessionary as the next Teamster president, Hoffa Jr., would talk tough, sell short and declare victory. This culminated with the historic betrayal of 2018 when Hoffa Jr. forced through a concessionary contract after members had voted it down.

Teamsters overwhelmingly voted in the reform slate Teamsters United with Sean O’Brien as general president in 2021. The new slate is a coalition including former Hoffa supporters and lifelong militants from TDU (Teamsters for a Democratic Union). They campaigned on many issues, but one thing stood out above all others: a promise to take a militant approach to the next UPS negotiations and give zero concessions.

UPS workers overwhelmingly supported this approach during the election and continue to support it now. The COVID outbreak of 2020 resulted directly in record profits for UPS and death and disease for the workforce. The pandemic put plain what the ruling class tries to conceal: we create the wealth that the ultra-rich horde for themselves. Company executives are pleading poverty during the negotiations, but the numbers don’t lie. UPS makes over $24,000 in operating profit per employee and has been dumping money into stock buybacks, dividend payouts and labor-saving technology.

The IBT (International Brotherhood of Teamsters) sends out daily updates to members on the progress of contract negotiations, a massive change from the prior administration. Regional contract supplements started at the beginning of the year with national negotiations supposed to have begun April 17. However, UPS drags its feet by insisting on a “cost-neutral” contract. In other words, they insisted on concessions. The status of national negotiations changes daily, but one thing is consistent: the contract expiration deadline of August 1 is fast approaching. The IBT is threatening that on that date, there will be an approved contract or a strike.

Since the beginning of 2023, the militant caucus TDU has been at the front of the rank-and-file contract campaign. Members have participated in mass rallies, parking lot meetings, and contract action trainings. The strike weapon is being sharpened as Teamsters stretch and flex muscles they haven’t used in decades under the Hoffa regime. Poverty part-time wages, unbearable package car driver conditions, and two tier classifications have worn down Teamsters to their last nerve.

The important thing to recognize is that this fight did not drop out of the sky. It is the result of decades of work by labor militants. Many FRSO members from coast to coast are Teamsters. They fought tirelessly for their coworkers on the floor. They stood their ground against Hoffa and his concessionary contracts. Now, they will stand on the front lines of this battle.

The results of this contract fight will impact other unions, organizing Amazon workers, and the future of the U.S. labor movement. The United Auto Workers have thrown out their weak officers and elected new militant leadership. Workers want to fight and now is the time to struggle for all that can be won. Strike a blow against UPS and we strike a blow against the whole of our rotten ruling class!

#UnitedStates #Teamsters #UPSContract

Tampa, FL – On Monday, February 20, thousands of Teamsters gathered outside of UPS facilities across the country to sign cards pledging unity ahead of contract negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS. The Contract Unity Pledge Drive is being rolled out in order to rally UPS employees to demands in the negotiations such as ending the second-tier 22.4 driver classification and higher wages for part-timers.

“It's about sending a message to the company that we're ready for a fight. We won't accept second-tier drivers, excessive overtime and unsafe working conditions. Our ability to strike UPS is built on our unity as Teamsters,” said Eliza Schultz, Teamsters Local 705 member and 22.4 driver from Chicago, Illinois.

“Part-timers need a livable wage. $16.65 is not enough. I’ve had to live in a trailer full of mold while working six and seven days a week to make ends meet. We break our backs for this company and it’s time for them to pay up,” said Nico Hernandez, Teamsters Local 512 member and part-time warehouse worker from Jacksonville, Florida.

The 2018 UPS contract was characterized by historic concessions, including the introduction of second-tier driver classifications. Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, who was elected in the wake of that bad contract, has promised to strike if workers’ demands are not met by contract expiration on July 31. The UPS-Teamsters contract negotiations begin in April, and the contract expires July 31.

#TampaFL #Teamsters #UPSContract

Tampa, FL – United Parcel Service released their fourth quarter earnings last month, beating Wall Street’s expectations with almost $5 billion in profit for 2018. Through a combination of opening new automated sorting facilities, purchasing more air cargo planes, and exploiting employees with low pay and long hours, UPS had an extremely profitable holiday season. The company is optimistic for profits in 2019 and moving into the future. For workers, however, the future does not look so bright.

In October 2018, UPS and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) successfully pushed an incredibly unpopular contract onto workers. UPS Teamsters overwhelmingly rejected the contract because of its many concessions, however despite historic voter turnout and over 50% voting ‘no’, the IBT ratified the master agreement using the ‘2/3rds’ article in the constitution.

The IBT had a number of proposals going into negotiations that would have benefitted UPS workers, including: financial penalties for harassment, $15 per hour starting wage for part-timers with catch up raises for current employees, and limits on excessive overtime. Instead, UPS Teamsters discovered that a number of the contract proposals had been outright rejected and the union itself was proposing a new ‘22.4 Hybrid Driver’ position.

Hybrid drivers, when compared with regular full-time drivers, will be paid less, have no overtime protections, and be forced to work weekends, all while performing the same work as other drivers. Commonly known as a two-tier system, this tactic is used by companies looking to lower wages across the board. There is a current limit for the number of 22.4 jobs that can be created by the company, 25%, but it’s not hard to imagine UPS looking to increase that limit in future contract negotiations.

Another key issue for UPS Teamsters was part-time wages. The IBT’s proposed starting wage was $15 an hour for all new part-time hires and equal catch up raises for all existing part-timers. Instead, UPS part-time workers got $13 an hour for new hires and unequal raises for existing part-timers. Regardless of seniority, current part-time workers will receive a raise either bringing their wage up to $13 an hour or an extra $0.70, whichever results in a higher amount. UPS was again able to cut wages for a significant section of employees.

The contract’s weak language on overtime lets UPS get away with intentionally understaffing operations. By pushing drivers to deliver more packages and stay out later, the company is able to maximize its profit margins. Additionally, when there are not enough drivers to deliver packages the company will force members of management to work. With weak overtime contract language, UPS is able to weasel out of creating more jobs for Teamsters.

What will UPS do with the almost $5 billion they made in 2018? As the new contract has made clear, the company has no intention of sharing it with the Teamsters who did the work. Instead the company will continue spending money on developing technological systems like ORION, vehicles like package cars and airplanes, as well as automated sorting facilities like the one recently built in Atlanta. UPS has already spent $7 billion on capital investments, including automation, in 2018 alone, in previous years the company was spending about $1 billion annually. These capital investments will make it easier for the company to further exploit its workforce and eliminate jobs.

The Atlanta UPS SMART hub is totally automated. Packages are unloaded from trailers by employees, scanned by a six sided camera and then automatically routed to their destination where an employee then loads the package. The hub processes over 100,000 packages an hour without a human ever touching a box. By replacing Teamsters with automated equipment, UPS is able to make more money on each package delivered. UPS has plans to open similar facilities in Dallas-Fort Worth, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Indianapolis.

Automation in the logistics industry is not just limited to inside the warehouse. UPS is currently developing and testing a new technology, known as platooning, which would allow driverless trucking. Platooning technology creates a link of three or more tractor trailers behind one another, which then follow a lead driver. If platooning was implemented at UPS, feeder driver jobs would be cut drastically. The IBT has released statements against this technology, but the new UPS contract does nothing to prohibit it. In fact, this year UPS attempted to begin testing the technology in Texas, but Local 767 stopped it for now.

As UPS continues to make more and more money, aided by a concessionary contract and investments in automation, conditions for UPS workers will only get worse. The only thing that will improve workers’ conditions is a fighting Teamsters union, one only needs to look at the 1997 UPS strike to see the gains that were made for working people.

#TampaFL #CapitalismAndEconomy #PeoplesStruggles #Teamsters #UPS #UPSContract #VoteNoOnUPSContract

Chicago, IL – Over 1000 Teamster Local 705 members packed their union hall, October 21, on the eve of serious negotiations with UPS. Support was widespread for the bargaining team, who are ready to end their contract extension should the company refuse to address some key issues.

Secretary-Treasurer Juan Campos stated Local 705 isn’t interested in the current language proposed for 22.4 combo jobs, he wants $15 for part-timers, catch-up raises for existing part-timers, and increases for retiree health care and pensions, among other issues.

Negotiations resume October 25 and 26. Should Local 705 end the contract extension, a strike vote will follow in early November, raising the possibility of a strike.

After attending the meeting, Adrian Hernandez, a Local 705 Package Driver, commented, “I saw a lot of unity and believe we’re headed in the right direction, fighting for what we deserve in this next contract.”

Many of the 10,000 Teamsters affected by the Local 705 contract were vocally supportive of the national ‘Vote No’ movement against Hoffa’s concessionary national master UPS agreement that covers every UPS worker in the U.S. other than Local 705. Nationally, UPS Teamsters voted down their contract by 54% only to have Hoffa ratify the agreement anyway. Secretary-Treasurer Juan Campos said that won’t happen in Local 705.

#ChicagoIL #PeoplesStruggles #Teamsters #strike #TeamstersLocal705 #UPSContract #Strikes

In their open letters the vice presidents raised numerous issues including: the one-sided interpretation of Article XII, the historical precedent of the 2013 contract vote, UPS’s initial willingness to engage in further negotiations, lack of communication with the Central and Southern region VPs and the duty of Teamsters leadership to serve the rank and file.

In all of their letters, the vice presidents also demanded the UPS contract not be ratified, and that an emergency General Executive Board meeting be held. Article IX, Section 5 requires Hoffa to hold a General Executive Board meeting if over half of the board requests one.

#WashingtonDC #PeoplesStruggles #Teamsters #UPSContract #VoteNoOnUPSContract

Jacksonville, FL – Just hours after UPS Teamsters voted down their tentative agreement in record numbers, union chief negotiator Denis Taylor announced he would ratify the contract anyway.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) announced on an October 5 teleconference that a 54% majority of UPS members had rejected the contract proposal: 50,248 no-votes to 42,356 yes-votes. The UPS contract is the single largest private sector collective bargaining agreement in the United States, representing well-over 230,000 Teamsters.

“Taylor and Hoffa’s move is a disgrace to organized labor,” said Dustin Ponder, union steward for Teamsters Local 512 out of Jacksonville, Florida. “It’s a slap in the face of every UPS Teamster, whether they voted yes or no. They made perfectly clear that they care more about the interests of UPS and Wall Street shareholders than they do about the workers they claim to represent.”

In the week leading up to the results, rumors circulated that Taylor had plans to shove the contract through in the event of a majority voting no. By following through on these threats, Taylor and IBT General President Jim Hoffa Jr. have angered thousands of UPS Teamsters across the country.

“Frankly, I’m furious,” said Bill Aiman, a UPS part-timer and active member of Teamsters Local 79 in Tampa, Florida. “We spent untold hours standing outside the warehouse gates handing out literature to our coworkers about the contract. We spent our own hard-earned money printing ‘Vote No’ flyers. Hundreds of rank-and-file Teamsters across the country took a stand because this contract would hurt us and we deserve better.”

Record member participation in the vote fueled this historic victory for the ‘Vote No on the UPS Contract’ movement. Voter turnout skyrocketed from 27% in 2013 to 44% in 2018, driven in large part by rank-and-file activists in the Teamsters United group and the Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) reform caucus.

Taylor claims that the IBT constitution forces him to ratify the tentative agreement, regardless of the results, because voter turnout did not reach 50% and less than 2/3 voted it down. In a nasty e-mail sent to UPS Teamsters through the IBT’s UPS Rising app, an obviously distraught Taylor attacked rank-and-file members for not voting. Taylor claims that the IBT bent over backwards to engage members in the contract process and encourage voter turnout.

“But not enough members covered by the National Master UPS Agreement exercised their right to vote,” wrote Taylor. He added, absurdly, “And as we saw in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, winning the popular vote does not necessarily win the election when the Constitution requires you to win the Electoral College vote. As Teamsters, we too must abide by the rules in our Constitution. Thus, the National Master UPS Agreement has been ratified.”

But Taylor’s blame-the-members strategy is fake news. For one, voter turnout was the highest on-record for a UPS contract in the last two decades, rising dramatically from 2013. Of course, Hoffa Jr. and Taylor didn’t give low voter turnout a second thought in the 2013 yes-vote since it went their way. Some members complained about not receiving ballot information in the mail or having difficulties with the new, online voting system.

Taylor’s bigger claim – that he constitutionally must ratify the contract – is also bogus. The IBT constitution says that officials “can” ratify a rejected agreement if it’s a “final offer” from the employer. The UPS contract was a “tentative agreement,” and at no point did either the company or the union present the deal as a “final offer.”

Rank-and-file activists and reform-minded Teamster local presidents, like Sean O’Brien of Local 25 out of Boston, and Fred Zuckerman of Local 89 in Louisville, Kentucky, warned Taylor not to ratify the agreement against the members’ will.

“The winds are in our favor,” said O’Brien in a statement after hearing the vote results. “Teamsters at UPS are willing to fight. The economy is strong, UPS is profitable and we are approaching peak so real leverage is at our fingertips. The contract goals are reasonable and achievable. But only if Hoffa doesn’t follow through on his threat to implement the contract. Hoffa has set the table to argue he is required to implement the contract under the Teamster Constitution. THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. It is time for our General President to stand with the members, not the company.”

Indeed, Hoffa Jr. and Taylor’s move to force through the UPS contract against the will of the members will hurt the Teamsters as a union along with the entire labor movement. By their actions, these sellout union bureaucrats have signaled to UPS their willingness to take any deal presented by the company, no matter how harmful it is to the workers they claim to represent.

But in an even broader sense, Hoffa Jr. and Taylor have played right into the hands of right-wing corporate lawyers and lobbyists pushing anti-union laws, like ‘right to work,’ in states across the country. Groups like the Center for Union Facts and the National Right to Work Foundation argue that unions only enrich union officials at the expense of the rank-and-file members. By trampling union democracy, Hoffa Jr. and Taylor outdid even the worst stereotypes of ‘fat-cat union bosses.’

Vote-No Teamsters are turning their outrage into action. They say the IBT should accept the results and resume a new round of negotiations with UPS for a better contract.

“There’s only one right thing to do here,” said Nick Godfrey, a UPSer out of Local 222 in Salt Lake City, Utah. “The IBT needs to respect the will of the members and go back to the bargaining table. We knew that contract they brought us was rotten, and that’s why we voted it down. UPS made $6 billion last year. There’s no reason we can’t win $15 per hour for part-timers, $5 catch-up raises and more full-time jobs.”

Several rank-and-file workers active on the Vote NO on the UPS Contract Facebook group have already pledged to start gathering petitions at their warehouses next week.

#JacksonvilleFL #PeoplesStruggles #Teamsters #UPSContract #VoteNoOnUPSContract #DenisTaylor

Jacksonville, FL – Just hours after UPS Teamsters voted down their tentative agreement in record numbers, union chief negotiator Denis Taylor announced he would ratify the contract anyway.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) announced on an October 5 teleconference that a 54% majority of UPS members had rejected the contract proposal: 50,248 no-votes to 42,356 yes-votes. The UPS contract is the single largest private sector collective bargaining agreement in the United States, representing well-over 230,000 Teamsters.

“Taylor and Hoffa’s move is a disgrace to organized labor,” said Dustin Ponder, union steward for Teamsters Local 512 out of Jacksonville, Florida. “It’s a slap in the face of every UPS Teamster, whether they voted yes or no. They made perfectly clear that they care more about the interests of UPS and Wall Street shareholders than they do about the workers they claim to represent.”

In the week leading up to the results, rumors circulated that Taylor had plans to shove the contract through in the event of a majority voting no. By following through on these threats, Taylor and IBT General President Jim Hoffa Jr. have angered thousands of UPS Teamsters across the country.

“Frankly, I’m furious,” said Bill Aiman, a UPS part-timer and active member of Teamsters Local 79 in Tampa, Florida. “We spent untold hours standing outside the warehouse gates handing out literature to our coworkers about the contract. We spent our own hard-earned money printing ‘Vote No’ flyers. Hundreds of rank-and-file Teamsters across the country took a stand because this contract would hurt us and we deserve better.”

Record member participation in the vote fueled this historic victory for the ‘Vote No on the UPS Contract’ movement. Voter turnout skyrocketed from 27% in 2013 to 44% in 2018, driven in large part by rank-and-file activists in the Teamsters United group and the Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) reform caucus.

Taylor claims that the IBT constitution forces him to ratify the tentative agreement, regardless of the results, because voter turnout did not reach 50% and less than 2/3 voted it down. In a nasty e-mail sent to UPS Teamsters through the IBT’s UPS Rising app, an obviously distraught Taylor attacked rank-and-file members for not voting. Taylor claims that the IBT bent over backwards to engage members in the contract process and encourage voter turnout.

“But not enough members covered by the National Master UPS Agreement exercised their right to vote,” wrote Taylor. He added, absurdly, “And as we saw in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, winning the popular vote does not necessarily win the election when the Constitution requires you to win the Electoral College vote. As Teamsters, we too must abide by the rules in our Constitution. Thus, the National Master UPS Agreement has been ratified.”

But Taylor’s blame-the-members strategy is fake news. For one, voter turnout was the highest on-record for a UPS contract in the last two decades, rising dramatically from 2013. Of course, Hoffa Jr. and Taylor didn’t give low voter turnout a second thought in the 2013 yes-vote since it went their way. Some members complained about not receiving ballot information in the mail or having difficulties with the new, online voting system.

Taylor’s bigger claim – that he constitutionally must ratify the contract – is also bogus. The IBT constitution says that officials “can” ratify a rejected agreement if it’s a “final offer” from the employer. The UPS contract was a “tentative agreement,” and at no point did either the company or the union present the deal as a “final offer.”

Rank-and-file activists and reform-minded Teamster local presidents, like Sean O’Brien of Local 25 out of Boston, and Fred Zuckerman of Local 89 in Louisville, Kentucky, warned Taylor not to ratify the agreement against the members’ will.

“The winds are in our favor,” said O’Brien in a statement after hearing the vote results. “Teamsters at UPS are willing to fight. The economy is strong, UPS is profitable and we are approaching peak so real leverage is at our fingertips. The contract goals are reasonable and achievable. But only if Hoffa doesn’t follow through on his threat to implement the contract. Hoffa has set the table to argue he is required to implement the contract under the Teamster Constitution. THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. It is time for our General President to stand with the members, not the company.”

Indeed, Hoffa Jr. and Taylor’s move to force through the UPS contract against the will of the members will hurt the Teamsters as a union along with the entire labor movement. By their actions, these sellout union bureaucrats have signaled to UPS their willingness to take any deal presented by the company, no matter how harmful it is to the workers they claim to represent.

But in an even broader sense, Hoffa Jr. and Taylor have played right into the hands of right-wing corporate lawyers and lobbyists pushing anti-union laws, like ‘right to work,’ in states across the country. Groups like the Center for Union Facts and the National Right to Work Foundation argue that unions only enrich union officials at the expense of the rank-and-file members. By trampling union democracy, Hoffa Jr. and Taylor outdid even the worst stereotypes of ‘fat-cat union bosses.’

Vote-No Teamsters are turning their outrage into action. They say the IBT should accept the results and resume a new round of negotiations with UPS for a better contract.

“There’s only one right thing to do here,” said Nick Godfrey, a UPSer out of Local 222 in Salt Lake City, Utah. “The IBT needs to respect the will of the members and go back to the bargaining table. We knew that contract they brought us was rotten, and that’s why we voted it down. UPS made $6 billion last year. There’s no reason we can’t win $15 per hour for part-timers, $5 catch-up raises and more full-time jobs.”

Several rank-and-file workers active on the Vote NO on the UPS Contract Facebook group have already pledged to start gathering petitions at their warehouses next week.

#JacksonvilleFL #PeoplesStruggles #Teamsters #UPSContract #VoteNoOnUPSContract #DenisTaylor

Washington DC – The results are in. The UPS National Master Agreement, which covers approximately 250,000 workers across the country and is the largest private-sector union contract in the United States, has been rejected in a 45.74% to 54.26% vote.

After the details of the contract were released earlier this summer, rank-and-file UPS Teamsters from across the country waged an unprecedented campaign to vote no and reject the agreement. At UPS centers from the smallest town to the largest city, and effort began to prevent concessions and fight for living wages for part-timers.

“Teamsters across the country gave the full effort to reject concessions and prevailed,” said Gabriella Killpack, package car driver and steward from Local 222 in Salt Lake City. “Despite an all-out effort by both the National Negotiating Committee and UPS management, members saw through the propaganda and made their voices heard.”

#WashingtonDC #PeoplesStruggles #Teamsters #UPS #UPSContract #VoteNoOnUPSContract

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

#WashingtonDC #PeoplesStruggles #Teamsters #UPSContract #FredZuckerman #VoteNoOnUPSContract

But unlike previous years, the outcome of this contract vote is anything but certain. UPS Teamster militants across the country have hit the gates of their warehouses and urged coworkers to vote no on the contract. Both the Teamsters United movement and the Teamsters for a Democratic Union reform caucus have spearheaded these efforts, along with Fred Zuckerman, president of Local 89, and Sean O’Brien, president of Local 25 and the Teamsters United candidate for general president in 2021.

Citing the introduction of a two-tier, lesser-paid package driver scheme – the so-called 22.4 drivers – pitiful and insulting raises for part-timers, and more, the Vote No movement has brought together rank-and-file militants and reform-minded local union leaders fighting for a better contract.

“We’ve flyered at our building, as well as most buildings in western Florida,” said Bill Aiman, a UPS Teamster in Local 79 out of Tampa, Florida. “By and large, Teamsters here feel this is a bad contract. And we deserve a whole lot better.”

UPS made $4.9 billion in profit in 2017 and received an extra $1 billion in the tax bill passed by President Donald Trump and the Republican-dominated Congress. UPS Teamsters, whose labor created these profits, went into contract negotiations hungry for a better contract.

Negotiations between the companies and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) began earlier this year. The union brought a set of serious proposals submitted by the rank and file, which would have substantially raised wages for part-timers, protected package car drivers from forced overtime, added harsh monetary penalties for harassment and more.

Over time, however, IBT chief negotiator Denis Taylor abandoned these proposals in favor of massive concessions to the company. Even after taking a strike authorization vote in June, on which 93% of UPS Teamsters and over 90% of UPS Freight Teamsters voted in favor, Taylor still brought forward a tentative agreement full of givebacks for the company.

“We’ve stood outside our building and talked with everyone – part-timers and full-timers,” said Fernando Figueroa, a UPS Teamster in Jacksonville. “There’s so much outrage at this contract that it’s driven a lot of folks to get more involved in our local union and spread the word to vote no. When your manager or supervisor is telling you to vote yes, you have to ask yourself, ‘When has my manager ever looked out for my best interest?’ It’s clear who benefits and who loses from this contract.”

Both the IBT leadership and UPS management have pulled out all the stops to convince UPS Teamsters to approve the contract. They have sent out expensive glossy pamphlets in the mail and repeatedly robocalled members’ phones with invitations to vote-yes conference calls. Both the company and the union bureaucrats developed their own propaganda apps – UPSGo and UPS Rising, respectively. But the Vote No movement has countered these efforts with boots on the ground.

“We have been hitting the gates and speaking to the members one-on-one about the importance of voting no, especially part-timers,” said Dave Loobie, a UPS part-timer in Teamsters Local 804 out of New York. “If this contract gets passed, all the part-timers in NYC will be at $15 per hour come January 1, 2019 anyway. The only raise they will get from the contract is $0.50 the last year of the contract – 2023!”

In many parts of the country, including New York, the minimum wage has already risen above the proposed $13 per hour starting wage. The new contract does not include any catch-up raises for part-timers with three or more years of seniority, who already at least $13 per hour.

For Loobie and his coworkers in New York, the city’s minimum wage reaches $15 per hour next year, meaning new part-timers in NYC will only receive a $0.50 raise in 2022 at the end of the contract’s five-year starting rate progression.

“Some newer part-timers think the contract is good because of the starting rate increase to $13,” says Aiman speaking about their experience talking to part-timers in Tampa. “But when we tell them that higher seniority part-timers will get just a $0.70 raise, they agree it’s unfair. They want more anyway since $13 isn’t a living wage, but they’re also willing to support their coworkers. That’s solidarity.”

Voting will continue through October 5, when a third party will count ballots and announce the results. If the UPS contract does not pass by a majority, the company and the union will likely return to the negotiating table.

#JacksonvlleFL #JacksonvilleFL #PeoplesStruggles #Teamsters #UPSContract #VoteNoOnUPSContract

Chicago, IL – Voting instructions will arrive in the mail as soon as Sept. 10, for over 200,000 Teamsters affected by the proposed 5-year National Master UPS Agreement. The only two UPS locals not in the agreement are Local 705 and Local 710, which are currently still in negotiations.

Signed by the Teamsters UPS National Negotiating Committee June 21, the master agreement was ratified August 9 by representatives of every affected Teamster local. A large faction voted against ratification, including seven international vice presidents and numerous large locals.

Angered over weak raises, particularly for part-timers, a new two-tier wage system for drivers, and giveaways to subcontracting in feeders, among other issues, UPS Teamsters across the country are mobilizing to reject the agreement in large numbers.

“This agreement doesn’t reflect the billions in profits UPS is making every year. Even worse, it includes concessions. We can win record improvements, but only if we vote ‘No’ this September,” commented Bill Aiman, Tampa, Local 79.

In the mail, Teamsters will receive a packet, containing instructions on how to vote, a sample ballot, and a handful of propaganda by the Hoffa administration, which is working hand-in-hand with management to sell a ‘yes’ vote.

The vote may be conducted via phone or internet using BallotPoint, so instructions will include an individual anonymous access code. BallotPoint is an independent service that conducted nearly 4000 union elections since 1999, according to their webpage.

Every Teamster will be able to vote once on the National Master Contract and once on their regional supplement. Some locals with local riders will have a third vote. The voting period will take place for 21 days and will be counted in October. If a ballot is not received after being out for seven days, the local union must be contacted for a new ballot.

“I am encouraging all my fellow Teamsters to vote ‘no’ as soon as they get their instructions in the mail,” commented Emily Butt, a six-year part-time loader from Lansing, Michigan, Local 243. “I’m doing this because if UPS can get a two-tier system past Teamsters, that's going to be a signal to every business in this country to implement the same in their work place. If we can be assertive and demand a good contract, that won't just be good for us, it will be good for everyone.”

#ChicagoIL #Teamsters #UPSContract #VoteNo

Teamsters across the U.S. have long been demanding that part-timers, who have long held some of the lowest wages and worst working conditions in the company, get a raise to get them closer to a decent standard of living. From hub to hub, center to center, the message has been clear: $15-an-hour starting wage and catch-up raises for existing part timers who for years have been unable to reach that rate. The new ‘settlement’ will reach far short of that mark, starting at $13 and only getting above $15 a full five years down the road. “We have rallied, petitioned and shouted down ‘part time poverty’ for years,” said Dave Schneider, a steward and part-time employee in Teamsters 512 in Jacksonville, Florida. “I'm not ready to agree to a deal that doesn't start at $15.”

Full-time UPS Teamsters, who already suffer long hours of forced overtime and harassment, will also face a challenge. Taylor's agreement also comes with full-fledged two-tier driver language. This new classification means that, while performing the same work several days a week as current drivers, some could be making approximately $4 an hour less. Previous experience over decades of two-tier wage contracts shows that the higher-paid workers tend to be subjected to higher discipline and pressure, while lower-paid workers resent their position. The long term impact often ends in divided unions.

“Opening a two-tier system would begin the death of our good full-time jobs. We want equal pay and equal rights for all drivers. A second class driver position would be abused by UPS and hurt part-timers and full-timers. It's entirely unnecessary and dangerous. The answer is simple: we don't need two-tier, we need more full time jobs,” said Gabriella Killpack, a current package car driver in Teamsters Local 222 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Little else in the way of specifics has been brought out, but, if these are the selling points, UPS Teamsters may not be able to expect much more to celebrate. When the full and final agreement comes out, every UPS Teamster will be able to vote whether or not to accept the proposed deal. In the event of a “no” vote, negotiators will likely simply go back to the table and continue discussions. If negotiators decide they cannot reach an agreement, the Teamsters union has shown itself strong and united, with a 93% approval for a national strike vote that could take place any time after July 31.

#JacksonvilleFL #Teamsters #UPSContract

Jacksonville, FL – On May 1, Teamsters Package Division Director and lead negotiator for the UPS contract Denis Taylor announced the international union would begin the process of taking a strike authorization vote. The news breaks amid ongoing contract negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS, as well as UPS Freight, which began earlier this year and are set to continue into June.

The first step of this process is a May 8 conference call between Taylor and the leadership of every UPS Teamsters local, in which local leaders will fax in their vote for whether or not to move forward with a union-wide strike authorization vote. A similar conference call for UPS Freight locals will take place the following day, May 9.

If the locals vote to progress with a strike authorization vote, the international union will send out ballot information to UPS and UPS Freight Teamsters, who will vote ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ to give the union strike authorization. According to Taylor, the vote will take place electronically. Each UPS and UPS Freight Teamster will receive information and a unique code to access their ballot online.

If UPS and UPS Freight Teamsters vote ‘YES’ to authorize a strike, it doesn’t necessarily mean the union will strike. The Teamsters and UPS have not yet reached a tentative agreement yet, which will eventually go before the members for a vote. However, a strong vote in favor of strike authorization sends a clear signal to UPS and UPS Freight management that Teamster members are united and willing to fight for a better contract. It presents a credible strike threat to the multi-billion-dollar logistics giant and strengthens the union’s hand at the bargaining table.

UPS demanding concessions despite record profits

Last year, UPS made record profits totaling $4.9 billion, helped in large part by the massive tax cuts passed by Donald Trump and the Republican-dominated Congress last year.

But while business has never been better for UPS management, Teamsters at the company are struggling. Part-time UPS workers, who make up around 70% of the workforce, start at $10/hour with only a 3.5 hour/day guarantee in the contract. They only receive health insurance after a year of working for the company, and face rampant safety violations and harassment by supervisors.

UPS drivers, most of whom are full time, face the opposite problem. Management forces drivers to work long overtime hours out on the road and flagrantly violate provisions in the contract designed to reduce forced overtime – the so-called “9.5 clause,” which allows drivers to file grievances if worked over nine and a half hours too many times per week.

The Teamster negotiators for the UPS contract released their proposals, drawn from members’ ideas, before bargaining began, which included raises for part-timers, tougher 9.5 protections, and monetary penalties for supervisor harassment. They also proposed language protecting workers from automation by drones and driverless vehicles, which threaten to eliminate cornerstone Teamster jobs in the next decade, among other measures.

Since negotiations began, however, leaks from the bargaining table have shown Taylor backing down from the union’s proposals. Earlier on May 1, hours before the strike authorization vote was announced, Taylor and the company discussed the creation a second-tier of UPS package car drivers, who would receive pay at a much lower rate than current full-time drivers. Taylor and others have reportedly dropped or significantly weakened the union’s proposals on 9.5 protections and harassment. Moreover, the company appears unwilling to raise part-timers’ wages to $15/hour and grant $5/hour bump raises to existing part-time employees – a key demand for part-time UPS Teamsters.

The Teamsters-UPS contract is the single-largest private-sector collective bargaining agreement in the U.S., covering around 220,000 workers. The current agreement is set to expire in August 2018.

Teamsters ready to fight back

While negotiations continue, rank-and-file Teamsters at UPS and UPS Freight are getting involved in the struggle for a better contract. Militant rank-and-file workers, many involved with the Teamsters United movement, have organized a series of flyering events and parking lot meetings to educate and organize their coworkers.

This surge of Teamster activity incudes Teamsters Local 344, which covers all UPS Teamsters in the state of Wisconsin, who plan to hold parking lot meetings with members to discuss the contract negotiation process, starting on May 7 at the Oak Creek hub.

Kas Schewerdtfeger, business agent and organizer for Local 344 and former UPS package car driver, said, “Rank-and-file Teamsters are encouraged to speak their mind and say what they want about the contract negotiation process and the fight for a better agreement. Our contract demands are the same proposals that the IBT [International Brotherhood of Teamsters] brought forward to the table at the beginning: No 70-hour work week. No packages delivered after 9:00pm. An end to harassment with strong language to protect workers, and more.”

He added, “It’s important that rank-and-file Teamsters stand up and do whatever it takes to win a good contract. If there are concessions on the table, it will be up to the members to decide what – if anything – they’re willing to take.”

Vote ‘YES’ on strike authorization and a credible strike threat

While strike authorization does not mean the Teamsters will strike UPS, it gives the union more leverage to extract concessions and secure a better contract at the bargaining table. Each ‘YES’ vote adds to the credibility of a strike threat and effectively strengthens the union’s hand.

Dustin Ponder, a UPS Teamster out of Jacksonville, Florida, who was elected chief steward of his sort in March on the Teamsters United platform, said, “It’s crucial we present UPS with a credible strike threat at the negotiating table. This company has made billions of dollars off our backs, and they have the audacity to demand concessions from us. We need our Teamster sisters and brothers to stand united and vote for strike authorization if we want to secure a better life for ourselves and our families.”

#JacksonvilleFL #Teamsters #UPSContract

The unilateral move to hammer through the contract without full approval drew harsh criticism from Teamsters locals around the country. Teamsters Local 89, which voted down their concessionary supplement by 94% earlier in April called the move, “the greatest display of failed leadership and cowardice by [International Secretary Treasurer] Ken Hall and his cronies.” The statement, a press release posted to their website, continues, “By selling out thousands of their fellow Teamsters, Ken Hall and his cronies are complicit in subjecting UPS workers to financial hardships, reduced benefits and inferior working conditions. It is sad commentary on the state of a once great and powerful IBT when its current leadership grovels for table scraps of its corporate master UPS. The membership fully expects the Company to attempt to destroy the rights of its employees – that’s just how UPS does business – but the IBT directly attacking good wages, benefits and workplace rights is not only shameful, it’s treasonous.”

UPS Teamsters voted down 18 local riders and regional supplements during the first round of voting in 2013 and a whopping 47% voted against the negotiated contract. Members overwhelmingly opposed the contract due to its major concessions, which included major increases in co-pays and deductibles in the company health care plan. Other concessions include an additional year required for package car drivers to reach the top rate of pay.

Several supplements were subsequently passed in a second round of voting, but the supplements in Philadelphia, Western Pennsylvania and Louisville were repeatedly rejected by the members. Louisville hosts the largest UPS hub in the country, the Worldport, which handles huge volumes of UPS air traffic. Louisville Teamsters rejected the original supplement and then rejected them again after UPS came back with a worse offer that in no way dealt with serious problems facing members, like pension contributions and long commute times for workers through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints.

Ken Hall, the lead Teamster negotiator for the UPS contract, cited article XII of the IBT constitution in an unsigned fax, which announced the leadership’s decision to push through the contract without full approval. Hall argues that the members of the three local supplements rejected the supplements purely because of dissatisfaction with changes to the company health care plan, which he says gives the international leadership the ability to force through the contract.

Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU), the rank-and-file reform caucus of the IBT, led the campaign to win the right to vote on contracts in 1991. Rank-and-file organizing, along with critical support by TDU, was instrumental in coordinating the “Vote No” movement on the most recent concessionary contract. At the time of this writing, the “Vote No on UPS Contract” Facebook group, which Teamsters around the country used to oppose the concessionary contract, had over 5500 members.

Bobby Curry, a member of f Philadelphia IBT Local 623 and one of the lead organizers of the Vote No movement,. “It's so wrong to have Teamsters’ voting power taken away from UPS Teamsters. This is definitely a low point in Teamsters history.”

“Since the start of the Vote No movement, part-timers and full-timers at UPS have been fighting for a better workplace,” said Jared Hamil of Teamster local 79. “Teamster locals like 89 and 804 should be looked up to. They’re the ones fighting the boss to get us better conditions. This company wants to take away everything we have. They want to make it worse for us and now Hoffa, Hall and the other sellouts are siding with the company over fighting locals like 89. Teamster leadership should be fighting tooth and nail for a better workplace, not siding with the company. For us in Tampa, we’re not going to stop. We know that the company doesn’t want to help us and we need to keep fighting back!”

The locals that have had their votes on the supplements overturned by the national leadership are looking into appealing the decision.

#AtlantaGA #Teamsters #UPSContract

The struggle that exploded over UPS’ abuse of their workforce and the unjust firing of union activists ended with the company giving in to the demands of Local 804 and the legion of supporters that they assembled nationwide. Today, April 9, UPS settled with the Executive Board of Local 804, and agreed to rehire all the fired workers, including Jairo Reyes, and committed to treating workers with dignity and respect.

Richard Pawlikowski, a veteran driver who participated in the walkout, spoke about the conditions in Queens, “In our contract, UPS agreed to treat us with dignity and respect at all times. They don’t even do it for five minutes. They treat us like criminals. It finally reached a boiling point.”

Pawilkowski was one of the 36 out of the 250 Queens drivers who were walked off the job by supervisors, and told they were fired. When asked about how he felt after being fired by the company he gave so much for, he said, “I walked out with my pride. I didn’t do anything wrong. I had a clean conscience. I’ve grieved hundreds of abuses by the company, and I have no discipline in my file.”

After the walkout, UPS issued working terminations to the 250 participants. In response, Local 804 launched a national campaign of support that included gathering over 120,000 names on petitions, solidarity from hundreds of local unions and aggressive support from a wide range of politicians. The union held several rallies, and many of the fired drivers even went and discussed the situation with their customers, who demanded UPS rehire their delivery drivers. As support and solidarity continued to spread, UPS caved.

Driver Tom Oliver, who participated in the walkout, spoke about the union power that ultimately brought UPS to the table. “It’s a sweet victory that only happened because we stuck together and we got tremendous support. Even with all the stress that came with the walkout and the aftermath, it brought attention to a lot of problems with our facility that I hope can be corrected.”

Oliver, a committed union fighter, and family man with a wife and two children, joined the walkout and stood up for justice despite the threats of retaliation from UPS. “I think the excessive overtime, the unfair discipline, the micromanaging and the outright bully tactics took a toll on all of us. The unjust firings and, specifically, the firing of Jairo Reyes was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

After a battle that inspired thousands of union members across the country, Local 804 members look forward to resting easy for a night after several weeks of uncertainty. The message from the Local 804 website read: “Tonight is first and foremost about the 250 drivers and their families. We congratulate them on standing together through this ordeal and winning their return to work with respect and dignity.”

Dustin Ponder is a union activist and member of Teamsters 804.

#NewYorkNY #Teamsters #UPS #Capitalism #antiunionBusting #UPSContract #workersRights #TeamstersLocal804 #UPSStrike

The struggle that exploded over UPS’ abuse of their workforce and the unjust firing of union activists ended with the company giving in to the demands of Local 804 and the legion of supporters that they assembled nationwide. Today, April 9, UPS settled with the Executive Board of Local 804, and agreed to rehire all the fired workers, including Jairo Reyes, and committed to treating workers with dignity and respect.

Richard Pawlikowski, a veteran driver who participated in the walkout, spoke about the conditions in Queens, “In our contract, UPS agreed to treat us with dignity and respect at all times. They don’t even do it for five minutes. They treat us like criminals. It finally reached a boiling point.”

Pawilkowski was one of the 36 out of the 250 Queens drivers who actually walked off the job, and who UPS claimed would be replaced. When asked about how he felt after being fired by the company he gave so much for, he said, “I walked out with my pride. I didn’t do anything wrong. I had a clean conscience. I’ve grieved hundreds of abuses by the company, and I have no discipline in my file.”

After the walkout, UPS issued working terminations to the 250 participants. In response, Local 804 launched a national campaign of support that included gathering over 120,000 names on petitions, solidarity from hundreds of local unions and aggressive support from a wide range of politicians. The union held several rallies, and many of the fired drivers even went and discussed the situation with their customers, who demanded UPS rehire their delivery drivers. As support and solidarity continued to spread, UPS caved.

Driver Tom Oliver, who participated in the walkout, spoke about the union power that ultimately brought UPS to the table. “It’s a sweet victory that only happened because we stuck together and we got tremendous support. Even with all the stress that came with the walkout and the aftermath, it brought attention to a lot of problems with our facility that I hope can be corrected.”

Oliver, a committed union fighter, and family man with a wife and two children, joined the walkout and stood up for justice despite the threats of retaliation from UPS. “I think the excessive overtime, the unfair discipline, the micromanaging and the outright bully tactics took a toll on all of us. The unjust firings and, specifically, the firing of Jairo Reyes was the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

After a battle that inspired thousands of union members across the country, Local 804 members look forward to resting easy for a night after several weeks of uncertainty. The message from the Local 804 website read: “Tonight is first and foremost about the 250 drivers and their families. We congratulate them on standing together through this ordeal and winning their return to work with respect and dignity.”

Dustin Ponder is a union activist and member of Teamsters 804.

#NewYorkNY #Teamsters #UPS #Capitalism #antiunionBusting #UPSContract #workersRights #TeamstersLocal804 #UPSStrike

New York, NY – Hundreds of union members and community supporters rallied on the steps of city hall here, April 3, in support of the 250 UPS drivers who were issued terminations for walking out to defend their fellow co-worker.

Union members from Teamsters locals all across the city were joined by MTA workers from Transport Workers Union Local 100, SEIU 32BJ and members of Communication Workers of America and other union supporters.

President of Teamsters Local 804 Tim Sylvester told the crowd, “UPS is threatening to bankrupt 250 families,” and described the attacks as a heartless attack on drivers and their families. The crowd responded with shouts of “shut ‘em down!” and “Save the 250!”

New York Public Advocate Letitia James spoke and threatened UPS with ending their $43 million of tax breaks provided by New York City. She also pointed out that a sweetheart deal on parking tickets is in on the line, now that 250 drivers have been given termination notice and UPS already fired 20 workers on March 31. She went on to proclaim, “This ain’t Wisconsin!”

It was pointed out that different conditions prevail in New York City, which has the highest unionization rate in the country, than in Wisconsin, where right-wing Governor Scott Walker stripped public workers of their collective bargaining rights. “This is not going to end this way,” said City Controller Scott Stringer.

Workers walked out to defend a union activist and 24-year worker, Jairo Reyes, after UPS tried to fire him through an abuse of the grievance procedure. UPS’ abuse of the grievance procedure is a common practice to retaliate against workers who are trying to enforce their rights. UPS issued working terminations to the 250 brave drivers from Teamsters 804, claiming they could maintain the right to dismiss them at anytime.

One of the workers who was issued a termination, Domenick DeDomenico, age 40, spoke of the kind of harassment workers faced on a daily basis at UPS. A car struck DeDomenico while he was delivering packages, and he slipped into a coma for 10 days. He eventually returned to work after brain surgery and serious physical therapy. However, upon his return, UPS issued him a separate intent to discharge for slipping from his delivery rate of 13 packages per hour to 11 packages per hour after his injury. “I have a 13-year-old son and a wife,” said DeDomenico.

Shop steward and 804 driver Vincent Perrone told the crowd, “How do you do something like this to our families? We work 10, 11, 12 hours a day…we leave houses at 6 o’clock in the morning and get home at 10 o’clock at night. It takes a toll on us, on our families, but we want to work. All we want is the dignity and respect we deserve.”

A spokesperson for UPS later issued continuing threats, claiming that if UPS lost their tax breaks and sweetheart deals they may be forced to fire additional employees.

“This company thinks they can get away with whatever they want. If they refuse to listen to reason, if they refuse to back down, it’s time to walk all the buildings and show them what union power means,” said one 804 member who asked to remain anonymous to avoid retaliation for advocating a work stoppage. “We’ve got the support of the city, now’s the time to take a stand.”

#NewYorkNY #Teamsters #UPS #Capitalism #antiunionBusting #UPSContract #workersRights #TeamstersLocal804 #UPSStrike

Workers walked out to defend a union activist and 24-year worker, Jairo Reyes, after UPS attempted to fire him through an abuse of the grievance procedure – a common practice to retaliate against workers enforcing their rights. UPS issued working terminations to the 250 brave drivers from Teamsters 804, claiming they could maintain the right to dismiss them at anytime. In response, the local union launched a national campaign of support with the aims of bringing UPS back to the table, and rescinding the terminations. The support included a national petition which garnered over 100,000 signatures in just two weeks.

Union leaders, stewards and rank-and-file activists from Local 804 hit the gates of every building in New York City educating members and gathering signatures from their 6000-person membership.

“We want to show UPS we’re united and won’t tolerate them retaliating against our brothers and sisters. UPS created this situation by violating the contract and refusing to respect the grievance procedure,” said 804 member Dustin Ponder. “The workers we talked to were eager to sign. They stand behind the drivers and our local.”

The groundswell of support spread nationwide as activists from groups like Teamsters for Democratic Union, the Vote No movement and Part Time Power at UPS circulated the petition outside gates across the country. Within days activists gathered petitions at hubs in Florida, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Philadelphia, Chicago, Rhode Island, Ohio, New Jersey and Arizona.

The union held a rally outside the distribution facility in Maspeth, Queens on March 21, where union leaders and local politicians such as New York City Public Advocate Letitia James were joined by hundreds of workers and community supporters. They demanded the company rescind the terminations and begin respecting the contract.

UPS attempted to raise the stakes on March 31 by terminating 20 workers after they completed their shifts, and stating more terminations of hard working drivers would follow. Outrage spread in a matter of days and the story quickly spread to national headlines.

The union and their allies now want to shine the spotlight on up to $60 million in subsidies New York City gives the company. “We’ve given UPS breaks, particularly as it relates to this [parking] program,” Public Advocate Letitia James said in quote given to the Daily News. “They should not treat workers in this manner.”

Local 804 issued a call for workers and community supporters to rally on April 3 at 10:00 a.m. outside city hall to continue the fight-back against UPS’ abuses of their workforce. The rally will demand that UPS reinstate all workers who walked off their jobs and rescind all outstanding terminations.

#NewYorkNY #Teamsters #UPS #UPSContract #workersRights #TeamstersLocal804 #UPSStrike

“I think that the improvement to the TeamCare on Sept. 4 is a big difference to the TeamCare they offered in the Tentative Agreement that was offered in May. I fully believe than these changes were brought on because of the Vote No movement,” commented Mark Timlin, founder of the 4000-plus member “Vote No On UPS” Facebook page.

A re-vote on seven rejected supplements and riders will be mailed out on Sept. 18, according to the IBT.

Although the national agreement passed by a slim 2 to 3% margin, the agreement cannot take effect until all regional and local agreements have been settled, so those eligible to re-vote, including Teamsters in the Central Region, Ohio, Michigan, Local 243, Metro Philly and Western Pennsylvania have the ability to vote no again.

Keep voting no

While health care gains were made, another no vote in the Central States Region, among others, will be necessary to fight the rest of the health care concessions, improve pay and full-time jobs for insiders and improve language on harassment.

Those who voted no in the initial round were angry with the cuts to health care, lack of additional full-time jobs, harassment, and longer wage progression scales for new workers, who would make less for longer periods of time than ever before.

The Vote No movement seems likely to continue strong, because although health care improvements were made, the health care plan is still worse than the previous contract. For instance, it includes a deductible in the last year, something UPS Teamsters never had to worry about before.

Teamsters currently in the TeamCare plan will not be given the same benefits, extending a two-tier system beyond wages and into union-run health care. Workers currently in the plan will begin paying deductibles immediately. Two-tier systems create different compensations for employees doing the same work, often based on seniority or part-time vs. full-time status. They are used by companies to break down solidarity among workers and violate the union principle of equal pay for equal work.

Other concerns include language on harassment. For instance, Article 17(i) in the Central Supplement is a loophole management uses to fire employees and it needs to be removed.

Ken Hall backtracks

UPS Teamsters were particularly upset with this concessionary contract at a time when UPS posted record-breaking profits of over $4 billion and broke another profit record in the first quarter of 2013, posting well over an additional $1 billion.

In response to rank-and-file Teamster outrage at the concessions, Teamster General Secretary Treasurer Ken Hall has backtracked on his initial claim that health care negotiations, as well as other stipulations covered in the national agreement, were a done deal. On Sept. 4, a new mailing was sent to the membership detailing significant improvements to the Teamster-run plan. Many of those who voted against the contract in the first round of votes see this as a victory, forcing the union to recognize and do something about the tens of thousands concerned about contract concessions.

For thousands of UPS Teamsters across the country, the struggle continues to stem UPS management's attacks on the wages, benefits and working conditions of drivers and warehouse workers and to hold Ken Hall and IBT President Jimmy Hoffa, Jr. accountable to the members. The Vote No movement has already beat back some concessions and will continue the fight into the next round by urging another ‘no’ vote.

#MilwaukeeWI #Teamsters #UPS #classStruggleUnionism #JimmyHoffaJr #UPSContract #KenHall

In late June, the national contract with UPS passed with only 53% of Teamsters voting yes, the narrowest margin ever. 18 supplements and riders have been rejected, including the Louisville Air Supplement.

#LouisvilleKY #UPS #UPSContract #workersRights #TeamstersLocal89