May 18, 2018
The following letter has been mailed and handed out to all of our members at UPS and UPS Freight, urging them to VOTE YES to authorize a strike:
An Open Letter to 174 Members at UPS and UPS Freight
(Secretary-Treasurer Rick Hicks)
As you may have already heard, the time has come for us to conduct a Strike Authorization Vote at UPS and UPS Freight. Negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS management have been proceeding at a snail’s pace, with little progress.
This is the fifth National UPS Negotiating Committee that I have had the privilege of serving on while representing you. Having taken part in this process so many times, I can say that these negotiations have shades of 1997 all over again. (Recall, of course, that in 1997, the Teamsters went on a 16-day strike at UPS). I feel that things are the same, if not worse, this time around.
Because of this, I am urging you all to vote YES to authorize a strike at UPS!
Over the many months of negotiations that have taken place, there has been very little accomplished. This story is true at all levels of negotiations, from the National Master negotiations to the Western Region Supplemental negotiations and even at the Joint Council 28 Rider and Sort Addendum negotiations, which are attended by the coworkers you elected to the Bargaining Committee.
At each days-long negotiations session between UPS and the Teamsters, the total amount of face-to-face time spent with UPS management can be measured in minutes. The number of contract articles that have been negotiated to the point of a tentative agreement – especially the most important ones – is miniscule. At this rate, it would take a decade to complete this contract.
UPS is not taking your proposals seriously. Management is overly confident and believes that the membership — YOU — do not have the courage to go on strike. They believe they have all the leverage in these negotiations, and that leverage will translate into a contract that is great for them — but bad for you.
You can combat this by voting YES to authorize a strike!
A strike authorization, especially when delivered by a high percentage of the membership, will send UPS a clear message that they need to come to the bargaining table ready to negotiate a deal. A strike authorization from the membership will give us the essential tools we need to negotiate a strong contract.
A strike authorization does not mean a strike is imminent or guaranteed to happen. It simply means that if UPS does not change their tune, then you the members are ready and willing to fight for a good contract!
Beginning on May 15, ballots and voting instructions will be sent to you from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. These instructions will include an access code that will allow you to vote immediately, by phone or internet. Please watch your mail carefully and vote as soon as this mail arrives. Voting will close on June 3.
Remember: by voting “YES,” you are telling UPS that you will not stand for their bullying and time-wasting tactics.
When we stand together and fight together, we win together!
In Solidarity,
Rick Hicks
Secretary-Treasurer — Teamsters Local 174
The letter was accompanied by this flyer:
