UPS Workers Grant Strike Powers as July Contract Deadline Looms
- Teamsters say authorization to walk out is important in talks
- Courier says it’s confident it can reach agreement with union
Photographer: John Taggart/Bloomberg
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United Parcel Service Inc. workers authorized their union to call what would be the first strike since 1997, giving negotiators more leverage in talks to replace a labor contract that expires at the end of July.
Of the workers from the package unit who voted, 93 percent favored the authorization and 91 percent of UPS freight employees agreed to the measure, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced on a webcast. The rate of voter participation wasn’t provided. A strike authorization is common during negotiations to put pressure on the company, said UPS spokesman Glenn Zaccara. Even with that, the union can’t go on strike until after the current contract expires on July 31.