Two big announcements today from the Teamsters!
The first is a tentative agreement on a new five-year contract that would give more than 230,000 UPS workers increased wages and more secure health and retirement benefits:
The Teamsters Union and UPS have reached a tentative agreement for a new five-year national contract for parcel workers that raises wages and will significantly increase the company's contributions to funds that provide pension and health and welfare benefits to Teamster members, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said today.
The agreement was negotiated during the past year, and is reached in advance of an October 1 deadline set by the union to reach on early agreement. The current contract does not expire until July 31, 2008. Upon ratification, most provisions of the new agreement will take effect on August 1, 2008.
The second is a landmark in its own right -- a tentative agreement on a contract for employees in Indianapolis of UPS Freight, UPS' cargo-hauling unit:
The Teamsters Union and UPS Freight (formerly Overnite Transportation) reached a tentative agreement for their first contract ever, an agreement that will improve wages and benefits and will serve as a national model to organize thousands of other company employees nationwide, Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa announced today.
This agreement is a Big Deal because UPS Freight used to be known as Overnite, and the workers there have been trying to join together in a union for many, many years now. Overnite management fought those efforts at every turn, though, even when doing so cost them money and hurt the business as well as the workers. It's great to see UPS Freight working together with the former Overnite workers to give them a better shot at achieving the American Dream.
