As the Teamsters Union prepares to lead thousands of UPS drivers off the road next month, UPS announced this week that it will train nonunion employees to pick up the slack.
The company said the new training measures are in place to ensure that customers will still receive their packages in the event of a strike.
“While we have made great progress and are close to reaching an agreement, we have a responsibility as an essential service provider to take steps to help ensure we can deliver our customers’ packages if the Teamsters choose to strike,” the company said in a statement.
According to UPS, the training will not affect daily business operations or contract negotiations.
The announcement does not bode well for union/company relations.
Last week, the Teamsters and UPS released dueling statements, each blaming the other for the breakdown in contract negotiations.
“UPS should stop wasting time and money on training strikebreakers and get back to the negotiating table with a real economic offer,” the Teamsters said last week.
The two have until July 31 to avoid a massive strike. Earlier this month, 97% of Teamsters UPS drivers voted in favor of a strike authorization if a deal is not reached by the end of the month.
If a deal is not reached, around 340,000 workers would be on the picket lines, making it one of the largest single-employer labor strikes in U.S. history.
Workers are demanding better pay for part- and full-time workers as well as increased workplace protection and more full-time positions.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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