NEW YORK — The Teamsters mentioned Wednesday they may resume contract negotiations with UPS subsequent week, marking an finish to a stalemate that started two weeks in the past when either side walked away from talks whereas blaming one another.
The union, which represents 340,000 UPS employees, credited the picketing and rallies it’s been holding throughout the nation for getting the supply firm again to the negotiating desk earlier than the present contract expires on July 31.
It mentioned UPS reached out to renew negotiations.
In a ready assertion, the corporate confirmed negations will resume subsequent week and mentioned it was happy to return and “resolve the few remaining open issues.”
Before contract talks broke down, either side had reached tentative agreements on a number of points, together with putting in air-con in additional vans and eliminating a two-tier wage system for drivers who work weekends and earn much less cash. A sticking level in negotiations has been wage will increase for part-time employees, who make a minimal of $16.20 an hour.
“We are prepared to increase our industry-leading pay and benefits, but need to work quickly to finalize a fair deal that provides certainty for our customers, our employees and businesses across the country,” UPS mentioned.
The Teamsters symbolize greater than half of the Atlanta-based firm’s workforce within the largest private-sector contract in North America. If a strike does occur, because the union has been threatening, it will be the primary since a roughly two-week walkout by 185,000 employees crippled the corporate 1 / 4 century in the past.
On Sunday, Sean O’Brien, the top of the Teamsters, mentioned throughout a webcast with union members that he has requested the White House on quite a few events to not intervene if employees find yourself happening strike. Last yr, President Joe Biden had intervened to avert a railroad strike and power employees to simply accept an settlement that wasn’t broadly accepted.
On Wednesday, greater than two dozen senate democrats despatched a letter to O’Brien and UPS CEO Carol Tomé pledging to not intervene in case of a strike, mirroring an identical letter despatched on Monday by members of the U.S. House.
Earlier this month, UPS mentioned it can quickly start coaching nonunion workers within the U.S. to step in ought to there be a strike.
Both sides will set dates quickly as to when negations will occur subsequent week.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”