United Parcel Service and the Teamsters union have reached a tentative deal on a new contract, averting what could have been one of the largest strikes in U.S. history. Under the tentative five-year agreement for some 300,000 Teamsters, pay will increase by $2.75 an hour this year and by $7.50 an hour over the length of the contract. Current part-time UPS workers will make at least $21 per hour — double the amount in the previous contract. Wage increases for full-time workers will keep UPS Teamsters as the highest-paid delivery drivers in the nation, according to the union.
Sean O’Brien, the Teamsters general president, said, “This contract sets a new standard in the labor movement and raises the bar for all workers.” Voting to ratify the contract will begin Aug. 3.
