The @Teamsters union recently held a vote among its 340,000 members to authorize a strike against UPS. They voted by an overwhelming 97% to authorize a strike, giving the union major leverage to win their demands.
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If and when UPS workers strike, it will be the largest single-employer strike in US history. And it could happen in two weeks—starting August 1. UPS workers across the country are already practicing picket lines in preparation.
The union is demanding benefits for the lowest-paid workers and improvements to working conditions like getting AC in their trucks. In the summer heat, the cargo holds of UPS trucks—where workers spend most of their time sorting and selecting packages—can reach up to 150°F.
FedEx and the US Postal Service won’t be able to make up for the damage the strike poses for the company and the US economy. UPS is too big—delivering 17 million packages a day domestically—for all its packages to be shipped by competitors.
Despite the fact that profit has soared at UPS, from net income of $6.3 billion in 2018 to $11.3 billion last year, UPS is still refusing to meet workers’ demands.
When UPS workers last went on strike in 1997, the labor stoppage led to major inconveniences and “largely crippled” the company. It lasted 15 days before UPS conceded to the union’s demands. In today’s economy, package delivery is even more important—more than it has ever been.
A 10-day strike would cost the US economy more than $7 billion and be the costliest work stoppage in at least a century. This is the value of workers’ labor power. Folks should be ready to support UPS workers if and when they walk on August 1.
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