UPS Labor Talks Heat Up as Both Sides Race to Prevent First Strike in 25 Years
- Teamster’s Head Seeks Win Ahead of Amazon.com campaign
- UPS CEO Tomé has pledged to secure deal before July deadline
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With less than five weeks to go before the expiration of a United Parcel Service Inc. labor contract, talks to renew the agreement have moved into a critical phase as negotiators begin hammering out pay raises for about 340,000 workers.
The discussions pit Sean O’Brien, the fiery union boss determined to get tough with UPS, against Chief Executive Officer Carol Tomé, who won over Wall Street after boosting profit margins during the pandemic. The Teamsters rejected an initial offer from the company last week. On Tuesday, O’Brien released a statement reiterating his union’s demands for a “powerful tentative agreement” in a week’s time and, by the August 1 deadline, “a historic” new contract that guarantees higher pay for his members.