Teamsters rally against UPS at Southern California event

More than 340,000 Teamsters are covered under the master five-year contract, which expires July 31. They are also covered by multiple agreements specific to the regions where they work. The agreements cover provisions like paid time off, seniority, overtime and work hours.

The supplementals are also areas of great contention among members, and with UPS, as they geographically  impact workers’ lives and livelihoods. In past cycles, supplementals were often ratified after the main contract was settled.

The Teamsters’ UPS contract is the largest private sector collective bargaining agreement in North America.  

“UPS told our members they were heroes during the pandemic, that they were essential. The time for talk is over. The time is now for UPS to put pen to paper, negotiate a contract, sign it, and reward our members for the record profits they’ve made for this company,” said Eric Jimenez, secretary-treasurer of Local 952 in Los Angeles.

“UPS got record profits from the pandemic off your backs. This is your fight and you’re going to get what you deserve,” said Victor Mineros, secretary-treasurer of Local 396 in Los Angeles.

“UPS made $13 billion last year. They gave $5 billion of that to line the pockets of top executives and shareholders in stock buybacks. Every UPS Teamster deserves to share in the profits they created,” said Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.), who appeared at the event.

The Teamsters are looking to guarantee better pay for all workers, eliminate the two-tier wage 22.4 job classification where junior-seniority full-time workers allegedly have lower status contracts below their work levels. The union also wants more full-time jobs, improved job security, and an end to excessive overtime. Also on the table are safety and health concerns around heat illness and stronger protections against alleged company harassment.