According to the Teamsters this morning a strike action of their 340,000 workers employed by UPS is now more likely than ever. In a press release send this morning they state:
Around 4 a.m., UPS walked away from the bargaining table after presenting an unacceptable offer to the Teamsters that did not address members’ needs. The UPS Teamsters National Negotiating Committee unanimously rejected the package. Following marathon negotiations, UPS refused to give the Teamsters a last, best, and final offer, telling the union the company had nothing more to give. [...] No additional negotiations are scheduled.
The contract regulating these 340,000 workers expires on July 31; a strike action would thus begin on August 1.
For awhile it actually did seem as if the two sides would eventually come to an agreement after some hard bargaining. They've been in negotiations since April 17 and the Teamsters have already—on paper—won a substantial number of concessions from UPS including the end of the company's two-tier wage system, ending forced overtime on drivers’ days off, and more. According to a previous press release the Teamsters and UPS have also agreed to at least "55 non-economic issues" during the course of negotiations.
But eventually the parties hit a wall—and that wall is UPS insisting on a cost-neutral contract. They will not offer the full economic concessions Teamster leadership is looking for, and that has completely scuttled talks here. Despite revenue of $100bn last year, the corporation is simply refusing to entertain things such as significant pay increases, and obviously that's a nonstarter. 97% of Teamsters presumably didn't authorize a strike to make paltry compromises on their pay and cost-of-living adjustments.
So... strike? It's still possible this one will be averted, but with no additional bargaining yet scheduled the possibility that we'll be seeing one of the largest strikes in recent U.S. history taking place in August has grown massively. The Teamsters won't be lacking for institutional support either if they do go on strike. Obviously other unions stand in solidarity with the Teamsters and won't be crossing their picket line. Organizations such as Democratic Socialists of America are likewise making preparations for the long-haul, with over 50 chapters officially saying they'll be joining and supporting the Teamsters on the picket line in August. And statements in support of the Teamsters are coming from places like Congress, too: both the radical and moderate sides of the Democratic Party are on the same page here. If I were UPS... I'd be wary of a strike to say the least—but we'll see what happens.