UPS announced that it would begin training non-union employees of the company to step in should Teamsters members push through with an earlier announced strike should no agreement be reached by the end of July.

The announcement came a little more than a week after contract talks fell through between UPS and Teamsters — the union representing 330,000 of its workers — as both sides accuse each other of accusing each other of "walking away" from the negotiating table.

"We remain focused on reaching an agreement with the Teamsters that is a win for UPS employees, our customers, our union, and our company before August 1," UPS said on July 14.

"While we have made great progress and are close to reaching an agreement, we have a responsibility as an essential service provider to take steps to help ensure we can deliver our customers' packages if the Teamsters choose to strike," it added.

"Temporary plan"

"Over the coming weeks, many of our US employees will participate in training that would help them safely serve our customers if there is a labour disruption."

UPS said this temporary plan has no effect on current operations.

"This training is aligned with our ongoing commitment to safety and business continuity,"  the logistics company — one the largest employers in America — added.

"These activities also will not take away from our ongoing efforts to finalize a new contract that increases our employees' already industry-leading wages and benefits, allows UPS to remain competitive, and provides certainty for our customers and the US economy," UPS said.