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☆ Strike at trucking firm Yellow averted after deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 23 (Reuters) - U.S. trucking firm Yellow (YELL.O) averted a threatened strike by 22,000 Teamsters-represented workers on Sunday, saying the company will pay the more than $50 million it owed in worker benefits and pension accruals. Yellow is the third-biggest U.S. trucking company specializing in the less-than-truckload segment that combines shipments from different customers in the same trailer. Competitors, who are grappling with a sharp drop in freight volume, are expected to cherry-pick the company's customers, trucking experts and analysts said. It has successfully won such concessions in the past, but this time was rebuffed by new Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien. A federal judge in Kansas on Friday rejected Yellow's request to block the Teamsters from striking over the delinquent benefit payments.

Persons: Donald Trump, Sean O'Brien, O'Brien, O’Brien, Yellow's, Lisa Baertlein, Ananta Agarwal, Mrinmay Dey, Diane Craft, Chris Reese Organizations: Teamsters, Central, U.S, Walmart, Uber, Apollo Global Management, . Company, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, United Parcel Service, Thomson Locations: U.S, Central States, Nashville , Tennessee, Kansas, Los Angeles, Bengaluru

A strike could be one of the costliest in at least a century, with the impact of a 10-day strike topping $7 billion, according to one think tank. UPS pilots, who belong to a different union, would also stop flying in solidarity with the striking workers. The Teamsters have been holding "practice pickets" in major cities around the country to keep pressure on UPS. On the other hand, UPS is the largest employer of Teamsters at a time when unions are fighting to grow. "We believe an August 1 strike at UPS remains possible but not yet probable," Susquehanna analyst Bascome Majors said in a client note.

Persons: Mike Blake, Sean O'Brien, Joe Biden, Bascome Majors, Lisa Baertlein, Priyamvada, David Shepardson, Chris Reese, Josie Kao Organizations: teamsters, UPS, REUTERS, United Parcel Service, Teamsters, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Twitter, Reuters, Thomson Locations: L.A, Los Angeles , California, U.S, United States, Susquehanna, Los Angeles, Bengaluru, Washington

[1/5] Sean O'Brien, President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, speaks to UPS Teamsters during a picket ahead of an upcoming possible strike, outside of a UPS Distribution Center in Brooklyn, New York, U.S., July 14, 2023. The contract covering UPS workers who sort, load and deliver packages expires on July 31. I assume at some point they'll be reaching out looking to try and get a deal," Sean O'Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, told Reuters following a worker rally in New York. Earlier in the day, UPS said it remained focused on reaching an agreement before the current one expires. UPS, which aims to hold down labor costs to compete with non-union rivals, could lose customers in a strike, while the Teamsters count UPS as the largest employer of Teamster-represented U.S. workers.

Persons: Sean O'Brien, Brendan McDermid, he's, O'Brien, Lisa Baertlein, John Stonestreet Organizations: International Brotherhood of Teamsters, UPS Teamsters, UPS, REUTERS, United Parcel Service, Teamsters, Reuters, Teamster, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn , New York, U.S, ANGELES, New York, Los Angeles

☆ UPS, Teamsters accuse each other of walking away from contract talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) logo is displayed on a truck parked in New York. The Teamsters Union said on Wednesday United Parcel Service "walked away" from negotiations over a new contract, a claim the shipping giant denied, lobbing its own accusation that the union had stopped negotiating. UPS workers have already authorized a strike should the talks break down. Such a labor action would be the first since 1997 for UPS workers, in a strike that lasted 15 days. The union had earlier in the day said UPS made an offer that was unanimously rejected and that the company had "walked away from the bargaining table."

Persons: Sean O'Brien, O'Brien Organizations: United Parcel Service Inc, Teamsters Union, Wednesday United Parcel Service, salvos, UPS, Teamsters, Labor Locations: New York

☆ UPS and its 340,000 workers are close to a new contract. Here's what they've agreed to — and which issues could still trigger a historic strike.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

UPS and the Teamsters have been negotiating a new contract for more than eight weeks. Many thorny issues have been resolved, but the Teamsters president said a strike could still happen. So far, both sides have agreed on 55 non-economic issues, Teamsters president Sean O'Brien said in a video message released July 1. Weekend warriorsThe thorny issue of how UPS will cover shifts on the weekend has been a major point of contention for some UPS drivers since a two-tiered system was instituted in the last contract in 2018. Though progress has encouraged many parties, including some drivers in contact with Insider, economic issues — especially pay — are often the most contentious in any union negotiation.

Persons: Sean O'Brien, O'Brien, " O'Brien, — Organizations: UPS, Teamsters Locations: Louisville , Kentucky, U.S, California

☆ Republican senator challenges Teamster president to a 'MMA fight for charity' after the union boss told him 'you know where to find me
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin challenged a union boss to a MMA fight for charity. "An attention-seeking union Teamster boss is trying to be punchy after our Senate hearing. MMA fight for charity of our choice," Mullin wrote on his official Twitter account. An attention-seeking union Teamster boss is trying to be punchy after our Senate hearing. MMA fight for charity of our choice.

Persons: Sen, Markwayne Mullin, Sean O'Brien, O'Brien, Mullin, —, Republican Sen, — Markwayne Mullin, James P, Hoffa, Jimmy Hoffa, Michael Avenatti, Avenatti, Stormy Daniels, Donald Trump Jr, Bernie Sanders, Sanders Organizations: Service, Republican, Oklahoma, Monday, Teamster Union, National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Teamsters, Health, Education, Labor, Pensions, Tulsa World Locations: Tulsa, Tulsa , Oklahoma, Oklahoma

LOS ANGELES, June 16 (Reuters) - United Parcel Service (UPS) (UPS.N) union employees have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike should contract talks break down after the current agreement ends in two weeks, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said on Friday. The vote is a standard practice in union contract campaigns designed to give leverage to the union representing some 340,000 UPS workers. Tancredi, a partner at consultancy West Monroe, said interdependence between the Teamsters and UPS reduces strike risk. "They get what they pay for," Schreiner said of UPS adding that company delivery drivers, who make about $150,000 annually including base pay and benefits before overtime, "earn it." UPS shares fell as much as 1.5% after the news but quickly pared losses to trade down 0.6% in midday trade.

Persons: Sean O'Brien, Jeremy Tancredi, Tancredi, Rikki Schreiner, Schreiner, Lisa Baertlein, Shivansh, Jamie Freed Organizations: United Parcel Service, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Teamsters, UPS, West, Reuters, FedEx, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, West Monroe, Eagan , Minnesota, Los Angeles, Bangalore

☆ UPS workers vote to authorize strike while cheering unexpected progress on heat safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Adiel Kaplan | J.J. Mccorvey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

UPS acknowledged the vote outcome and noted that Friday's strike authorization doesn't automatically trigger a work stoppage. While many union members at UPS cast their votes on the strike authorization before the heat safety deal was announced, some drivers said afterward that other big priorities remain. Heat safety experts praised the preliminary agreement on air conditioning but cautioned that addressing the threat of extreme temperatures would take time. Seth Harris, a law and policy professor at Northeastern University who served as President Joe Biden's top labor policy adviser, said progress on heat safety at UPS could have broader ripple effects. Already, though, the concessions have jolted UPS workers and their allies with a dose of optimism.

Persons: Sean O'Brien, Zakk Luttrell, We've, it's, Luttrell, Amit Mehrotra, Mehrotra, Juley Fulcher, Fulcher, —, Seth Harris, Joe Biden's, Theresa Klenk, Klenk, — Annie Probert Organizations: Teamsters, UPS, NBC, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Deutsche Bank, Logistics, FedEx, U.S . Postal, Public Citizen, Northeastern University, New, New Jersey UPS Locations: New Jersey

Glacier Northwest is a unit of Japan-based Taiheiyo Cement Corp. (5233.T)Glacier Northwest filed a lawsuit in Washington state court accusing the union of intentional property destruction during a 2017 strike. The Washington state Supreme Court in 2021 ruled that the company's claims were preempted by a statute called the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), saying the company's loss of concrete was incidental to a strike that could be considered arguably protected under federal labor law. The Supreme Court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, has leaned toward curbing the power of labor unions in rulings in recent years. Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien said the Supreme Court had "again voted in favor of corporations over working people." While the Supreme Court has found that labor unions can be sued in state court for violent or threatening conduct, the union had argued, this narrow exception should not be expanded to permit property damage claims brought under state law.

Persons: Amy Coney Barrett, Barrett, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Noel Francisco, Sean O'Brien, O'Brien, Joe Biden's, John Kruzel, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Glacier Northwest Inc, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, National Labor Relations, Taiheiyo Cement Corp, Conservative, Liberal, Teamsters, Thomson Locations: Washington, Japan, California

☆ High-stakes negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters started this week. Catch up on the issues union leaders have vowed to strike over.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Friction has already increased as the Teamsters accused UPS of slow-walking local negotiations. UPS said that the parties have traditionally worked on the national and supplemental contracts simultaneously and are ready to negotiate. In order to avoid a promised strike, O'Brien has said he wants better pay for part-time workers, an end to a lower-paid classification of weekend drivers, and a list of other demands. This is UPS CEO Carol Tomé's first union negotiation and she has said that the parties are not as opposed as they seem. Bone up on the issues the Teamsters have threatened to strike over with the stories below.

REUTERS/Aude GuerrucciLOS ANGELES, April 17 (Reuters) - United Parcel Service (UPS.N) and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union will on Monday start U.S. private sector labor contract talks covering roughly 340,000 U.S. drivers, package handlers and loaders at the global delivery firm. The powerful Teamsters union wants an agreement that shares billions of dollars in UPS pandemic profits with workers, exerts leverage over other negotiations and helps to recruit new members - including Amazon warehouse workers. UPS, the world's biggest parcel delivery firm and No. "Failure is not an option," Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien told a rally on an April 2 in Boston. These are the first labor talks for both O'Brien and UPS CEO Carol Tomé.

The Teamsters said that only 10 of 40 supplements to the national contract have been resolved since those regional talks started in January. "We have clearly stated our intentions to UPS from the beginning that there would be no national negotiations until these regional contracts are completed," Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien said in the statement. Those contracts define provisions not included in the national agreement, including paid time off, overtime, work hours, seniority and discipline language. UPS said discussions around national negotiations and supplemental agreements often take place at the same time. "We are committed to reaching an agreement that provides wins for our employees, the Teamsters, UPS and our customers," UPS said.

☆ A senator who ran a multimillion-dollar plumbing business claimed he only took a $50,000 salary. His financial statements show otherwise.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin had a heated argument with the head of a union on Wednesday. Mullin claimed he only paid himself a $50,000 salary and "invested every penny" into his business. While lambasting Teamsters president Sean O'Brien for his nearly $200,000 salary, Oklahoma's Senator Markwayne Mullin claimed that he paid himself a salary of just $50,000 when he ran a plumbing business. I kept my salary down at about $50,000 a year because I invested every penny into it," Mullin replied. He reported between $200,000 and $2 million in income in 2012 from two family companies, Mullin Plumbing Inc. and Mullin Plumbing West, and another $15,000 to $50,000 from shares he held in a bank.

☆ Oklahoma Republican tells Teamsters president 'shut your mouth' in terse exchange at Senate hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON — A Republican lawmaker Wednesday told Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien to "shut your mouth" in a terse exchange at a hearing examining so-called union busting by U.S. companies. O'Brien said the International Brotherhood of Teamsters had examples of employers illegally pressuring workers not to join unions. When O'Brien said Mullin was out of line, the lawmaker shot back: "You need to shut your mouth." "You think you're smart? You think you're funny?

☆ UPS plans to lay off some of its controversial weekend drivers, union reps say, as delivery companies downsize for post-pandemic life
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Teamsters representatives say UPS has raised drivers' layoffs at the bargaining table. At least three locations in New York have already seen layoffs, according to another chapter. The affected position, according to the union, is the "22.4" driver, named for the section of the contract that created the position. These drivers work Tuesday through Saturday and top out at $30.64 per hour, while regular drivers can reach $42. UPS and the Teamsters Union did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Exclusive: Huge chunk of plants, animals in U.S. at risk of extinction
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Brad Brooks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

REUTERS/Luisa GonzalezFeb 6 (Reuters) - A leading conservation research group found that 40% of animals and 34% of plants in the United States are at risk of extinction, while 41% of ecosystems are facing collapse. Importantly, the report pinpoints the areas in the United States where land is unprotected and where animals and plants are facing the most threats. Nearly half of all cacti species are at risk of extinction, while 200 species of trees, including a maple-leaf oak found in Arkansas, are also at risk of disappearing. The threats against plants, animals and ecosystems are varied, the report found, but include "habitat degradation and land conversion, invasive species, damming and polluting of rivers, and climate change." California, Texas and the southeastern United States are where the highest percentages of plants, animals and ecosystems are at risk, the report found.

☆ UPS and the Teamsters prepare for high-stakes talks with union contract set to expire
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

But Tomé's optimism comes as the Teamsters union, which represents more than 340,000 UPS workers, amps up pressure on the delivery giant. "Whether there is a strike of UPS workers is up to UPS," said Kara Deniz, a spokesperson for the Teamsters. The talks start in April, with the current national contract set to expire on July 31. In the fourth quarter of 2022, UPS workers delivered a global average of 28 million packages per day, according to the company's website. For the first time, Teamsters Union President Sean O'Brien and the union's secretary of the treasury will have seats at the bargaining table and be directly involved in negotiating the terms of the new contract.

☆ UPS CEO addresses dangerous heat inside trucks and contentious weekend deliveries as a driver strike threatens to upend millions of deliveries
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The union has been preparing to strike for months, but UPS CEO Carol Tomé has said she wants a contract that's good for the Teamsters, UPS employees at large, and the company. Weekend warriorsWeekend deliveries have been a point of tension between UPS and the union for years. Because the contract restricts how many 22.4s the company can hire, UPS often pays weekday drivers overtime to work Saturdays. In fact, we're not waiting for the bargaining table," Tomé said. "UPS Management talks about return on invested capital but UPS #Teamsters are the capital...Time to invest in them & spread the wealth," O'Brien tweeted.

☆ UPS soared through the pandemic — but its biggest challenge in 25 years is still to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

UPS CEO Carol Tomé successfully led UPS through the pandemic. Then, he was a UPS hub manager in the Seattle area — almost halfway through his two decades with the company. But it's headed into rough terrain again this year as the contract with its union drivers expires this summer, threatening a strike that could disrupt millions of deliveries. O'Brien wants to use the UPS negotiations as a sales pitch to Amazon workers — demonstrating what a union can get them. All the while, they've demonstrated record profits," Gooding said of UPS.

☆ UPS' drivers union is threatening to strike over 6 key issues
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Teamsters union has begun meetings to plan its upcoming contract negotiations with UPS. The contract expires next July and members will be ready to strike, union leadership told Insider. Leading the Teamsters union, which represents UPS drivers, package handlers, and warehouse workers is Sean O'Brien, a long-time local union leader in Boston. O'Brien and some regular UPS drivers have said eliminating this position is a top priority. According to the existing contract, UPS can hire PVDs as seasonal laborers as long as it gives priority to union employees.

☆ The Teamsters' new chief is readying UPS drivers for a strike as he heads toward contract negotiations — and key moves show he's not bluffing
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

UPS drivers will be ready to strike next summer, said the Teamsters general president Sean O'Brien. The process left many members disenchanted with their union, multiple UPS drivers told Insider. Partly as a reaction to those grumblings, Teamsters lifer Sean O'Brien was elected to take over the union's leadership last year. And for months, O'Brien has openly spoken about UPS drivers going on strike for the first time in 25 years. O'Brien has said publicly several times that he plans to use the UPS contract negotiations as an example for other workforces that have yet to unionize — especially Amazon.

Paid sick leave was one of the outstanding issues in the negotiations. Rail workers get zero paid sick days. Paid sick leave is a basic human right. The measure to provide seven paid sick days did not win the required 60-vote supermajority in the Senate and was not endorsed by the White House. Senator Bernie Sanders and others denounced railroad companies for refusing to offer paid sick leave.

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden addresses a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., December 1, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, Dec 2 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden signed legislation Friday to block a national U.S. railroad strike that could have devastated the American economy. But the Senate failed to approve a measure that would have provided paid sick days to railroad workers. Rail workers get zero paid sick days. Paid sick leave is a basic human right.

☆ Gig labor could have challenged FedEx and UPS. Now it's making them stronger.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But UPS and FedEx have taken the cue and are integrating flexible workers in their own ways. Gig goes mainstreamWhere smaller players sometimes rely entirely on gig workers, UPS and FedEx are incorporating flexible laborers to complement full-time workers where and when deliveries are less consistent or particularly costly. Despite all that growth, the ecosystem around gig workers — regulation, banking, insurance, and more — is underdeveloped. And though gig workers often covet flexibility, they can easily end up with next to no job security and extremely variable earnings. In response, legislators have tended toward blunt force tactics — potentially eliminating all independent contractors in the name of gig workers.

☆ How the Pandemic Taught Us to See the Whole Supply Chain
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

As 2022 fades, the question is what lessons supply chain pros will take with them into the future. As 2022 fades, the question has become: What will those supply chain professionals take with them into the future as stresses ease? See the full chainEarly in the pandemic, retailers desperate to fill the shelves quickly realized how little visibility they had into their supply chains. One place where the work of rethinking supply chains has already succeeded is Best Buy, according to Becca Meinz, the retailer's VP end-to-end supply chain strategy. Responsiveness is the aim of many supply chain innovators as we move past the worst pandemic shocks.

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