IBT News: UPS National Negotiations Week 7 Update

Teamsters National UPS Negotiating Committee Begins to Address Economics; UPS Freight Continues Focus on Subcontracting, Seniority and Other Issues

April 27, 2018

The Teamsters National UPS Negotiating Committee concluded its seventh round of negotiations this week in which the committee made an initial economic proposal. The initial proposal addresses Article 22 – Part-Time Employees; Article 34 – Health & Welfare and Pension; Article 40 – Air Operation; and Article 41- Full-Time Employees.

The following are highlights from the union’s economic proposals:

Article 22: Increasing the part-time starting wage rate and improving the wage structure is a top priority to the membership. As Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa told UPS at the opening of the negotiations, “a 20th century wage structure does not work in the 21st century.”
Article 34: As in the past two contracts, the National Committee is continuing to push for significant increases to the company’s contributions to the health and welfare and pension funds.
Article 40: The National Committee proposed raises to the wage progression rates and aims to improve overtime provisions.
Article 41: The National Committee proposal reduces the length of the current four-year wage progressions and significantly increases the start rates.

In addition to economics, the National Committee continued to discuss weekend delivery work. UPS has made several proposals about this that the National Committee reviewed as the week’s session closed out.

“UPS employees are the reason that UPS is such a successful company,” said Denis Taylor, Director of the Teamsters Package Division and Co-Chairman of the Teamsters National UPS Negotiating Committee. “We intend to achieve the best possible contract, both in conditions as well as economics. We have gone a long way on the language and conditions; we are just beginning to address the economics.”

UPS Freight

The National UPS Freight Negotiating Committee started its initial discussions on Articles 43 and 44 (Subcontracting) with the employer. The committee also closed in on tentative agreements for Article 5 – Seniority and Article 18 – Workday and Workweek. It was a positive week with aggressive gains tentatively outlined in Article 5.

“The Teamsters National UPS Freight Negotiating Committee will continue to make strides in these negotiations and bring an agreement to our members that they can be proud of,” said Kris Taylor, Co-Chairman of the Teamsters National UPS Freight Negotiating Committee.

The next round of negotiations is scheduled for the week of May 21.