United Parcel Service workers have authorized their union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, to call a strike as soon as Aug. 1, after the current contract expires, the Teamsters announced Friday.
The Teamsters represent more than 325,000 UPS employees in the United States, where the company has nearly 450,000 employees overall.
The union said 97 percent voted in favor of strike authorization.
“The results do not mean a strike is imminent and do not impact our current business operations in any way,” UPS said in a statement, adding that it was “confident that we will reach an agreement.”A UPS strike could have significant economic fallout.
The company handles about one-quarter of the tens of millions of parcels shipped each day in the United States, according to the Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index.
Organizations:
Parcel Service, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Teamsters, UPS, Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping
Locations:
United States