UPS Teamsters to rally in LA as strike deadline nears

As a national strike deadline nears that could see more than 340,000 UPS drivers and warehouse workers walk off the job, the Teamsters’ president will walk with local workers at a rally Wednesday, July 19 in downtown Los Angeles.

A strike of this magnitude would be one of the largest labor actions in U.S. history. At least 40,000 people deliver and move packages for UPS in Southern California.

Negotiations to replace a contract that expires July 31 stalled after UPS and the union left the bargaining table July 5. They have scheduled no further dates for renewed labor negotiations.

A strike Aug. 1 would disrupt package deliveries throughout the U.S., although UPS said last week it is training non-union workers to temporarily fill the jobs should a walkout occur.

“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.

The Teamsters are fighting for a new five-year agreement that guarantees better pay for all employees and eliminates a two-tier wage system that sees some drivers earn $5 an hour less for doing the same work as other drivers.

Warehouse employees currently start at $15.50 an hour, a Teamsters representative said, and more than 100,000 UPS warehouse employees make less than $20 an hour.

The union also wants to see an increase in full-time jobs, along with more safety protections from heat and protections against harassment by management.

‘Ongoing efforts’

UPS says it has engaged in ongoing efforts to finalize a new contract that increases  employee wages and benefits.

“We agree on the vast majority of the issues the union and our people have raised,” the company said. “We want to return to the negotiating table to come to an agreement by August 1 that represents a win for our customers, our employees, the union and the company.”

UPS Teamsters and union President Sean M. O’Brien and workers will rally Wednesday at 8 a.m. at the company’s 1201 W. Olympic Blvd. hub, along with representatives from the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, Unite Here Local 11, the Writers Guild of America and various Teamsters locals.

Hannibal Aguilar, a UPS package driver for more than 28 years, said the two biggest issues he’s dealt with are extreme heat and micro-management from supervisors.

“Some days it’ll be 100 degrees outside, but when you climb into the back of the truck it’s 120 degrees,” the 45-year-old Pomona resident said. “And you’ve got 4,000 to 5,000 pounds of packages that have to be delivered — not counting pickups.”

UPS recently said all newly purchased UPS small-package delivery vehicles will be fitted with air conditioning beginning in January. Where possible, the company said it will prioritize delivery of new vehicles to the hottest parts of the country first.

But that will account for a small portion of the company’s more than 120,000 delivery trucks in the U.S. The company plans to install fans in its other trucks to provide needed airflow, UPS said, and a second fan will be installed in trucks without air conditioning by June 1.

Micro-managing

Aguilar earns $42.33 an hour. But he sometimes wonders if that’s enough in light of the micro-managing he endures.

“They’re always on our backs for being late,” he said. “They track us with GPS technology, so they can tell when our vehicles are moving or when they’re stopped. If I stop to get a Big Gulp on a hot day and it takes two minutes, they’ll say ‘what were you doing there?’ when I get back.”

Aguilar said he makes deliveries to a high-rise building in L.A., which has caused problems.

“I have to use the freight elevator, and when you up 35 floors it might take a while to get back down because the elevator could be full of people,” he said. “I was harassed for taking too long before management finally came out and saw how bad things were.”

Jenny Bekenstein, 27, who lives in L.A. and works at the company’s Olympic hub, said she and all the other warehouse employees are all part-time, working four hours a day.

“I have to go in around 3 a.m. and it’s heavy lifting with a lot of repetitive motion,” she said. “I’ve been here for two years and I’m making $16.60 an hour. I’d like to see $25 an hour.”

Bekenstein said she’s also harassed on the job.

“They’re always encouraging us to go faster,” she said. “Some of the managers will yell at you or even stand next to you while you’re working to intimidate you.”