6/19/23 Monday Parcel News Update

1. Teamsters Vote to Authorize UPS Strike

97% of rank-and-file UPS Teamsters voted to authorize a strike in what the union called an “overwhelming” majority. The authorization allows the Teamsters UPS National Negotiating Committee to call a strike on August 1, should a new agreement not be reached by the July 31 deadline.

While largely a formality that most expected to pass, the high percentage of “yes” votes can be used as a leverage tool in negotiations.

“The strongest leverage our members have is their labor and they are prepared to withhold it,” Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said in a statement.

Release from International Brotherhood of Teamsters

2. FedEx Pilots Union Sign Off on Deal, Release Terms

Negotiators for the FedEx group within the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) have voted to approve their new contract with FedEx Express. The tentative agreement is now one step closer to completion, with a final ratification vote among union members scheduled for July 5 – 24.

When it was announced that a tentative agreement had been reached, no terms were shared. This changed last week when ALPA disclosed a few terms, including:

• A 30% pay increase
• A 30% increase to pilots’ pension

ALPA officials said this is the largest investment in a pilot collective bargaining agreement to date.

Article from Jeff Berman, Logistics Management

3. UPS and Teamsters Agree to Install Air Conditioning in Trucks

One of Teamsters’ key demands for UPS is better protection from heat-related injuries for workers, and these demands date back well before the current National Master Agreement negotiations.

Last week, details emerged that the two sides have reached a tentative agreement that would see UPS install air conditioning, heat shields, and additional fans in their fleet of delivery and logistics vehicles, which make up a majority of the company’s 93,000 vehicles.

Article from Dan Ronan, Transport Topics