Chicago Teamsters consider strike at UPS

Chicago, IL – Thousands of Chicago-area Teamsters may be holding a strike vote as early as November 1 as negotiations drag on between Teamsters Local 705 and United Parcel Service.

Summoning every UPS Teamster steward and bargaining committee member in the local, Oct. 12, Teamsters 705 Secretary-Treasurer Juan Campos told a packed auditorium in Teamster City that the union is prepared to take on 22.4 language and retiree benefits, among other issues, and if the company cannot come to a tentative agreement on these issues, Local 705 will revoke a contract extension that has been ongoing since August 1, 2018. The crowd in the auditorium was enthusiastic and unified.

One of the only independent Teamster/UPS contract in the country, members of Local 705 witnessed General President Jimmy Hoffa Jr.’s undemocratic ratification of the National Master UPS/Teamster Agreement, which was voted down by 54% of the voting members despite intense campaigning by Hoffa and the company.

“705 members are concerned about the national contract, the low part-time pay, the implementation of more two-tier drivers, subcontracting and benefits, etcetera,” commented 705 Package Car Steward Daniel Ginsberg. “Many of our members have traveled the country supporting the ‘no’ vote nationally and we’re prepared to do whatever it takes locally to make sure we defeat the unacceptable language passed under the national.”

Ginsberg continued: “The struggle brewing between UPS and Local 705 is every UPS Teamsters fight around the country. They delivered us a historic ‘no’ vote and now we pick up the fight to hopefully win improvements that will set a new standard for UPS Teamsters everywhere.”

Teamsters 705 represents around 8500 Chicago-area UPS workers. A major transportation hub, the UPS Chicago Area Consolidated Hub, just one of many UPS facilities in Chicago, sorts nearly 1.6 million packages a day. With the holiday season fast approaching and a national shortage of drivers, Chicago Teamsters have some significant power should they have to strike.