Strike Narrowly Avoided as UPS Workers Agree on ‘Best Contract in History’

UPS and the Teamsters union—which represents more than 340,000 of the company’s workers—reached a landmark labor deal on Tuesday days before a strike was set to begin. “We demanded the best contract in the history of UPS, and we got it,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a statement. “UPS has put $30 billion in new money on the table as a direct result of these negotiations.”

A massive strike was scheduled for July 31 but the tentative deal should prevent that, pending a ratification vote by workers. Even UPS CEO Carol Tome called the agreement a “win-win-win.” Tome said: “This agreement continues to reward UPS’s full- and part-time employees with industry-leading pay and benefits while retaining the flexibility we need to stay competitive, serve our customers and keep our business strong.”