UPS and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters — the union representing about 330,000 UPS employees in the US — have announced that they have reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement.
Carol Tomé, UPS chief executive officer, said the deal is a "win-win-win agreement" for the company, its employees and UPS customers.
"This agreement continues to reward UPS'full- and part-time employees with industry-leading pay and benefits while retaining the flexibility we need to stay competitive, serve our customers and keep our business strong," she added.
Tomé said the five-year agreement also covers US Teamsters-represented employees in small-package roles and is subject to voting and ratification by union members.
Teamsters ratify deal with UPS
Separately, Teamsters announced on August 22 that its members have ratified the "historic contract", noting higher wages, more jobs, equal pay, better working conditions and additional holidays.
"Teamsters voted by an overwhelming 86.3% to ratify the most historic collective bargaining agreement in the history of UPS," Teamsters said in a statement.
"The five-year contract protects and rewards more than 340,000 UPS Teamsters nationwide, raising wages for full- and part-time workers, creating more full-time jobs, and securing important workplace protections, including air conditioning," it added.
Teamsters noted that the agreement passed by the highest vote for a contract in the history of the Teamsters at UPS.
The union noted that all supplemental agreements were ratified as well, except for the Local 769 LAI supplement, which covers 174 members in Florida.
"The national master agreement will go into effect as soon as this supplement is renegotiated and ratified. The UPS Teamsters National Negotiating Committee will immediately meet with the company to work to resolve any outstanding issues with the supplement," Teamsters added.
Upon resolution, the adjusted supplement would be voted on by respective UPS Teamsters in person in their area.
"Our members just ratified the most lucrative agreement the Teamsters have ever negotiated at UPS. This contract will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of workers," said Sean M. O’Brien, Teamsters General President.
Last month, the UPS Teamsters National Negotiating Committee, as well as representatives of UPS Teamster locals in the US and Puerto Rico, unanimously endorsed the agreement.
UPS Teamsters voted electronically between August 3-22.
