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The workers of UPS are preparing for a possible strike which would be the largest work stoppage in the United States since the 1950s.
Members of the Teamsters union, which represents more than 330,000 workers at the package delivery company that employs some 450,000 workers in total, voted overwhelmingly on Friday in favor of the strike if an agreement is not reached with UPS before the current contract expires on July 31.
The union seeks higher wages, the elimination of so-called two-tier wages, in which newer workers are paid less than older ones for the same job; the removal of surveillance cameras from delivery trucks and more full-time jobs.
“If this multi-billion dollar corporation fails to deliver the contract our hardworking members deserve, UPS will go on strike,” Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said in a statement. “The strongest influence our members have is their work and they are prepared to retain it to ensure UPS acts on it.”
About 97% of voting members approved a strike, although voter turnout was not immediately known.
If it occurs, the strike would be the largest at a single company in the country’s history and could paralyze much of the transportation of goods, dealing a severe blow with many repercussions for the US economy.
By some calculations, up to 6% of the US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) moves aboard UPS truckswhich is the largest courier company in the world.
A strike at UPS would be the largest work stoppage in the United States, since a 1959 steelworkers’ strike in which half a million workers walked out for nearly four months.
The current agreement between the company and the workers expires on July 31, soe the strike could start as of August 1 if an understanding is not reached beforehand.
The two sides have been negotiating in recent months and have already reached some partial agreements, for example to equip the UPS delivery fleet with air conditioning, but many issues still need to be closed, including a wage increase.
With information from EFE, CBS News and The New York Times
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