New Orleans, LA – On July 1, fifteen people gathered for a panel at the Nora Navra Library to hear report backs from the successful unionization of two local Starbucks coffee stores. The panel also included a report from the frontlines of the UPS-Teamster contract negotiations.

Atlanta, GA – UPS Teamsters across the state of Georgia are holding practice pickets at UPS facilities this week as negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS have begun to break down. The practice picketing is part of a national mobilization of rank-and-file Teamsters to prepare for a strike at UPS and to let the company know that the Teamsters are serious about striking for a good contract.

Milwaukee, WI – After working through the holiday and into the early morning hours of July 5, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters negotiating team was met with yet another disappointing offer by representatives from United Parcel Service, which did not meet the needs of members.

Washington, DC – On July 1, the bargaining committee of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) announced that three major economic tentative agreements had been reached with UPS in their negotiations over the next contract at UPS. These agreements are the elimination of a two-tier driver system, ending forced overtime on worker’s scheduled days off, and receiving Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday.

Vernon, CA – At a UPS hub in Vernon, California, members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) union held their weekly Teamster Thursdays on June 29. The workers were loud and militant and demanded better pay and a fair contract.

Lansing, MI – Teamsters in Lansing and Detroit conducted practice pickets at UPS centers on Friday, June 30. Members marched, held signs and chanted, putting pressure on the company to present a last, best and final offer. These pickets come days after the National Negotiating Committee issued a 48-hour deadline for UPS to issue such an offer. In a June 28 press release, General President Sean O’Brien said, “The largest single-employer strike in American history now appears inevitable.” Later that day, the company softened its bargaining stance and the deadline was extended to July 5.

Tampa, Fl – On Friday June 30, 100 Teamsters rallied outside the Tampa UPS building for the union’s national practice picketing call to action. UPS drivers rallied first before their start time with a second rally happening for-part timers after they left the early morning or preload shift. June 30 was the deadline the International Brotherhood of Teamsters gave UPS for their best and final economic proposal.

Minneapolis, MN – On June 29 and 30, over 80 members of International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 638 participated in a series of parking lot rallies and practice pickets at the Broadway Street UPS hub in Minneapolis. The actions were driven by the rank-and-file efforts of the hub’s Teamster Contract Action Team, and were organized for every shift.

Tampa, FL – The International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the United Parcel Service have reached agreements on multiple non-economic proposals, including more protections for transgender workers. If the Teamsters and UPS reach a tentative agreement by July 31, it will have updated language to include gender identity and sexual orientation as protected identities under article 36, the non-discrimination section of the contract.

Los Angeles, CA – On Thursday, June 29, the Teamsters at UPS Olympic hub in downtown LA held coordinated pickets including both UPS drivers and part-time workers. The pickets occurred between 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., allowing both the drivers and the part-time workers to participate before and after their shifts.