(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — UPS has struck a tentative, five-year contract agreement with the Teamsters Union representing 340,000 UPS workers.
That means a strike, which had the potential to cause nationwide headaches for businesses and consumers alike, has been averted.
“The overwhelmingly lucrative contract raises wages for all workers, creates more full-time jobs and includes dozens of workplace protections and improvements,” Teamsters officials wrote on Twitter.
Among the specifics of the agreement: UPS will add air conditioning to U.S. small delivery vehicles purchased after Jan. 1, 2024.
Members of the Teamsters, who were angered by a contract that they said was forced on them five years ago by union leadership, clashed with UPS over pay as profits for the delivery company soared in recent years.
In 2022, the union brought about a change of leadership with the election of Sean O’Brien, who vocally criticized the union president who signed off on that contract, James Hoffa — the son of the famous Teamsters firebrand.
“The union went into this fight committed to winning for our members,” O’Brien said. “We demanded the best contract in the history of UPS, & we got it. UPS has put $30 billion in new money on the table as a direct result of these negotiations.”
Since the previous contract was ratified, profits at UPS have grown more than 140%.
The company has the largest private-sector contract with workers in North America. The last breakdown in labor talks, which took place 25 years ago, led to a 15-day walkout by 1850,000 workers.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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