UPS workers could strike. What would that mean for your package deliveries?
.png "A strike from 340,000 UPS workers could cause major disruptions.")
A strike from 340,000 UPS workers could cause major disruptions across the U.S., if it comes to fruition.
Here’s what that means for your deliveries.
How did we get here?
The Teamsters union represents UPS workers and they voted to strike if they don’t reach an agreement with the company when the current contract expires at the end of July, according to a news release from the union. UPS said in a news release that is a “routine part of the bargaining process.”
Teamsters President Sean M. O’Brien said the strike vote shows the members “are united and determined to get the best contract in our history at UPS.”
This strike would be the country’s biggest work stoppage since a steelworkers strike in 1959, CBS News reported.
What could happen?
The last time UPS workers went on strike in 1997, it “crippled the company,” CBS reported. It also overwhelmed FedEx and the Postal Service, CNN reported.
The UPS workforce has almost doubled in size since then. UPS ships about a quarter of all packages in the U.S., and averaged more than 24 million packages a day last year, according to the company.
Some experts say a short strike wouldn’t be as bad as the 1997 strike thanks to changes including shipping alternatives, CNN reported. But lots of people rely on regular deliveries and a long strike could disrupt the supply chain. That means we could see slower delivery of goods and higher prices on both products and shipping, USA Today reported.
If you live in a more rural area, you could be affected more.
Will there actually be a strike?
Is a strike likely? We’ll see. There’s been progress made in the contract. Negotiators have reached an agreement on air conditioning in delivery vehicles. Executives with UPS say they’re confident in an agreement by the July deadline.
“While we expect to hear a great deal of noise during the negotiation, I remain confident that a win-win-win contract is very achievable and that UPS and the Teamsters will reach agreement by the end of July,” UPS CEO Carol Tomé said.
Negotiations between Teamsters and UPS started in April.
“If this multibillion-dollar corporation fails to deliver on the contract that our hardworking members deserve, UPS will be striking itself,” O’Brien said. “The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it to ensure UPS acts accordingly.”
It’s not just about speedy delivery.
“This has just huge implications for the entire labor movement in the United States,” John Logan, the director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University, told the Associated Press. “There’s greater assertiveness and militancy on the part of a lot of young labor activists and some sectors of the labor establishment.”
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This story was originally published June 22, 2023 at 7:00 AM with the headline "UPS workers could strike. What would that mean for your package deliveries?."
