‘We’ve organized, strategized, now it’s time to pulverize,’ says Teamsters union president ahead of looming UPS strike - CNN

New York CNN  — 

Ahead of a looming UPS nationwide strike, Teamsters union President Sean O’Brien said during a rally speech in Atlanta Saturday, “We’ve organized, strategized, now it’s time to pulverize.”

UPS logos on the tails of cargo jets parked at the UPS Worldport facility in Louisville, Kentucky, U.S., on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022.

Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg/Getty Images

UPS pilots vow to not cross strike picket lines

Speaking with CNN’s Isabel Rosales, O’Brien said 95% of the contract has been negotiated, and “now we’re down to economics, and UPS knows they need to pay our members, especially the part-timers.”

A UPS spokesperson has said part-timers receive the same benefits as full-time workers. However, they do make less than full-time employees who make, on average, $95,000 a year, as CNN previously reported. Part-timers start by earning $16.20 an hour and are eligible for a higher hourly rate after 30 days. On average, part-time workers make $20 an hour, according to the spokesperson.

UPS workers hold placards at a rally held by the Teamsters Union on July 19, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images

When asked what happens if a deal is not reached by July 31, O’Brien said they would withhold their labor on August 1 at 12:01 a.m.

“UPS represents our members that deliver goods and services that deliver 7% of gross national product,” O’Brien added. “So, the [UPS] supply chain solutions will take a huge hit.”

According to O’Brien, a strike would be felt both domestically and internationally. He claims “because the pilots union that represents the pilots for UPS have committed to us that they will not turn a wheel if the teamsters go on strike.”

Part-time package handler Elizabeth Laster told CNN Saturday she’s willing to go without pay if the strike takes place. After working at UPS for seven years she said she feels like the company is making millions of dollars while she struggles to survive and provide for her three sons.

Sean M. O'Brien, Teamsters General President, center, greets UPS workers at a rally in downtown Los Angeles as a national strike deadline nears on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. A little more than a week after contract talks between UPS and the union representing 340,000 of its workers broke down, UPS said it will begin training nonunion employees in the U.S. to step in should there be a strike, which the union has vowed to do if no agreement is reached by the end of this month.

Damian Dovarganes/AP

UPS and Teamsters to meet next week ahead of looming strike

“The packages don’t move unless we move them … we’re the ones that are making all that money and we don’t see it. How is that fair?”

Laster said the company has “already gotten our blood, our sweat and our tears … just give us what we’ve worked for.”

Correction: A previous version of this story misquoted Teamsters union president Sean O'Brien. He said: "We've organized, strategized, now it's time to pulverize."

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