Teamsters Win Major UPS Concessions, Avert Multi-State Strike at the 11th Hour
In a dramatic turn of events late Monday night, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters secured a string of hard-fought victories at UPS facilities nationwide, forcing the shipping giant to settle multiple long-running disputes and averting a wave of strikes that could have disrupted operations in at least seven states.
At the center of the fight was UPS’s Worldport hub in Louisville, Kentucky, where members of Teamsters Local 89 and Local 2727 have battled the company for more than a year over work assignments. UPS had been diverting critical Aircraft Maintenance Distribution Center (AMDC) duties to lower-paid, non-bargaining unit workers, a move the union said violated their jurisdiction and undercut contract wages. Facing an imminent work stoppage, the company agreed to restore the disputed work to Teamster members, a major reversal credited directly to the credible strike threat.
In Chicago, members of Local 705 won a landmark first contract for administrative and specialist employees, securing top-tier wages and locking in critical workplace protections. The agreement represents a breakthrough for a group of workers who, until now, had been excluded from UPS’s union ranks despite performing vital operational roles.
Additional settlements were reached in Toledo, Ohio (Local 20) and Denver, Colorado (Local 455), where grievances over seniority rights and safety hazards had been dragging on unresolved. Union leaders said the victories in those locals send a clear message that contract violations will not be tolerated.
“This is exactly what solidarity looks like,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “UPS knew our members were ready to walk, and they knew the impact it would have. We didn’t just win on paper — we won real, enforceable gains for our people.”
The series of agreements were hammered out in rapid-fire negotiations over the past 48 hours, with Teamsters leadership making it clear that if UPS failed to act, picket lines would go up as early as this morning. The union says its leverage came not only from the looming strike deadline but also from the nationwide momentum following last year’s historic UPS contract fight, which set new standards on wages, air conditioning in delivery vehicles, and limits on excessive overtime.
While the latest settlements resolve several contentious issues, union officials say the fight with UPS is far from over. The Teamsters continue to push for stricter enforcement of existing contract language, particularly on health and safety standards, full-time staffing levels, and protections against forced overtime.
“These wins are significant,” O’Brien added, “but UPS should understand, the moment they backslide, our members will be right back on the line.”
With the agreements in place, UPS operations will proceed without disruption – for now. But both sides know that the threat of renewed labor unrest is never far from the surface when America’s largest package carrier and one of its most militant unions are at the negotiating table.
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