The online retail community and consumers are watching negotiations between United Parcel Service (UPS) and their workers’ union closely as a deadline for a new contact nears in late July.
“UPS and UPS Freight Teamsters have approved giving their respective negotiating committees the right to call a strike, if necessary,” a post on the UPS Rising Facebook page said.
According to the post, the vote was held Tuesday night by electronic secret ballot.
“This vote by our UPS and UPS Freight members gives the negotiating committees bargaining leverage this week and during subsequent negotiations for the national contract and the supplements,” Denis Taylor, Director of the Teamsters Package Division said in a release.
UPS handles 2.9 million packages and documents across the country every day and around 20 million globally. The company has 454,000 employees.
A statement from the company noted that a strike isn't authorized while the current agreement is in effect, through the end of July, and called strike authorization votes "a common tactic during negotiations."
"Business continues as usual at UPS, and we continue to negotiate in good faith with the Teamsters," the statement said.
