UPS, Teamsters reach labor deal to avoid strike

UPS and the Teamsters union representing 340,000 workers at the package carrier on Tuesday said they reached a preliminary labor deal that includes raises for both full- and part-time workers and narrowly avoids a potential strike that could have started next week.

“Together we reached a win-win-win agreement on the issues that are important to Teamsters leadership, our employees and to UPS and our customers,” UPS CEO Carol Tome. “This agreement continues to reward UPS’s full- and part-time employees with industry-leading pay and benefits while retaining the flexibility we need to stay competitive, serve our customers and keep our business strong.”

It was the latest in a string of labor deals where workers from pilots to aerospace manufacturing employees have pushed for and won higher pay.

Existing part-time workers will make a minimum of $21 an hour, if workers approve the new contract, the union said. Full-time workers will average $49 an hour. It would also end mandatory overtime on drivers’ days off, according to an outline of the contract provided by the Teamsters. UPS didn’t immediately confirm the potential new wages.

The tentative deal still faces a ratification vote by workers. The union could have begun a massive strike after July 31 if the two sides didn’t reach a deal.

“The union went into this fight committed to winning for our members. We demanded the best contract in the history of UPS, and we got it,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a statement. “UPS has put $30 billion in new money on the table as a direct result of these negotiations.”

Some recent labor negotiations haven’t yielded deals. On Monday, pilots at UPS rival FedEx rejected a tentative labor deal, with 57% voting against the agreement.