A potential strike by hundreds of thousands of UPS workers, some based in New Jersey, inches closer. The deadline to negotiate a new contract is set to expire at the end of the month. The president of the Teamsters union, which represents the workers, said at the weekend that more than 95% of the contract has been settled with UPS, but the remaining sticking points involve part-time workers and wages.
The union is pushing for part-time workers to have earlier access to health insurance coverage and pension plans, along with more paths to full-time employment. UPS has already agreed to ending mandatory overtime on off days, improving cooling systems in delivery trucks and raising hourly pay. The impasse comes after two years during which UPS reported record profits. If a deal is not reached, it could precipitate the first UPS strike in 25 years.
