The Teamsters union has said it will not begin to bargain for a new national contract with UPS Inc. until the company “gets its act together” to finish negotiating 40 local and regional agreements known as “supplementals.”
The Teamsters and UPS (NYSE: UPS) began supplementals talks in January, the union said. Of the 40, 30 remain unresolved due to repeated delays by UPS, the union said Wednesday.
“This is not a game, but you wouldn’t know that based on UPS’ behavior,” said General President Sean M. O’Brien. The Teamsters have informed UPS that there would be no national talks until the regional contracts are completed, O’Brien said.
“UPS delays, disappears, drags its feet and refuses to talk about the real issues that workers need addressed,” O’Brien said. The Teamsters head has warned that he will call workers out on strike if an agreement isn’t reached by midnight Aug. 1. The union has also warned that there will be no wiggle room around that issue.
More than 340,000 Teamsters are covered under the master five-year contract, which expires July 31. They are also covered by multiple agreements specific to the regions where they work. The agreements cover provisions like paid time off, seniority, overtime and work hours.
The supplementals are also areas of great contention among members and with UPS as they have a direct geographic impact on workers’ lives and livelihoods. In past cycles, supplementals were negotiated and ratified after the main contract was agreed to.
Fred Zuckerman, the Teamsters’ general secretary-treasurer, said that UPS has had four months to bargain in good faith and has refused to do so. “It’s up to UPS to get its act together, show up and do right by its workforce. Until then, there will be no negotiations on a national contract.”
UPS “does not get to drag out this process,” Zuckerman said.
UPS said in a statement that discussions around national negotiations and supplemental agreements often take place at the same time. “We have bargained in good faith since the start and will continue to review and consider all proposals that are brought to the table.”
Negotiations are set to begin Monday in Washington.
