Off linkedin..
The threat of a walkout is on the table in contract negotiations for UPS airline workers who want to be paid like those employed by major carriers.
Flight dispatchers with United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE: UPS) gave unanimous consent last month for its elected union leaders to call a strike if needed in order to "secure a fair contract," according to a statement Monday from Transport Workers Union Local 549.
The Union leadership said an 81-0 vote granted its top officers the right to initiate a walkout, potentially paralyzing the Atlanta-based logistics company.
UPS, meanwhile, views the vote as a routine and symbolic gesture that does not give the union a right to strike
The Louisville-Ky.-based dispatchers prepare pre-flight plans for UPS, the largest package delivery company. Job functions include plotting each plane’s course, calculating fuel requirements, coordinating with maintenance personnel and tracking flight progress.
Dispatchers are asking to be paid like their counterparts working at major air carriers such as American Airlines Group Inc. (Nasdaq: AAL) and Delta Air LinesInc. (NYSE: DAL), who, at the top of the pay scale, make approximately 26 percent more, according to the union. The dispatchers also want UPS to fully-fund the pension plan by increasing contributions.
Local 549 said it's been trying to negotiate an updated contract with UPS for more than three years, and the dispatchers have gone approximately four years without a wage adjustment. Local 549 said UPS "has not shown serious interest in reaching an agreement," adding that under federal law a flight can’t depart without the approval of the dispatcher and the pilot in command.
“It is incredibly irresponsible for UPS to risk their air delivery service for their customers by playing labor games with such a critical group of dedicated professionals,” TWU International Rep. Gary Petersen said in the release.
Local 549 said the strike authorization allows officers to ask the National Mediation Board to be released from federal mediation, and then call a walkout after a mandatory cooling-off period.
In a statement to Atlanta Business Chronicle UPS said:
Louisville Business First's David Mann reported in February that negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS for a new national master contract, which will cover about 250,000 workers, is different this time around because contract talks are not staying behind closed doors
The threat of a walkout is on the table in contract negotiations for UPS airline workers who want to be paid like those employed by major carriers.
Flight dispatchers with United Parcel Service Inc. (NYSE: UPS) gave unanimous consent last month for its elected union leaders to call a strike if needed in order to "secure a fair contract," according to a statement Monday from Transport Workers Union Local 549.
The Union leadership said an 81-0 vote granted its top officers the right to initiate a walkout, potentially paralyzing the Atlanta-based logistics company.
UPS, meanwhile, views the vote as a routine and symbolic gesture that does not give the union a right to strike
The Louisville-Ky.-based dispatchers prepare pre-flight plans for UPS, the largest package delivery company. Job functions include plotting each plane’s course, calculating fuel requirements, coordinating with maintenance personnel and tracking flight progress.
Dispatchers are asking to be paid like their counterparts working at major air carriers such as American Airlines Group Inc. (Nasdaq: AAL) and Delta Air LinesInc. (NYSE: DAL), who, at the top of the pay scale, make approximately 26 percent more, according to the union. The dispatchers also want UPS to fully-fund the pension plan by increasing contributions.
Local 549 said it's been trying to negotiate an updated contract with UPS for more than three years, and the dispatchers have gone approximately four years without a wage adjustment. Local 549 said UPS "has not shown serious interest in reaching an agreement," adding that under federal law a flight can’t depart without the approval of the dispatcher and the pilot in command.
“It is incredibly irresponsible for UPS to risk their air delivery service for their customers by playing labor games with such a critical group of dedicated professionals,” TWU International Rep. Gary Petersen said in the release.
Local 549 said the strike authorization allows officers to ask the National Mediation Board to be released from federal mediation, and then call a walkout after a mandatory cooling-off period.
In a statement to Atlanta Business Chronicle UPS said:
Under the U.S. labor law that governs airlines, this vote does not give the TWU the right to strike. The vote is simply a show of solidarity common in airline negotiations; there is no threat of a strike. UPS continues to negotiate in good faith for a contract that is good for our flight dispatchers, our customers and our company. We are confident talks will be completed without disruption to our customers.
High tensions between UPS and the Teamsters are not new. Local 2727, also based in Louisville and representing a workforce of approximately 1,300 employees, filed a second request in September with the National Mediation Board asking to be released from its mediated contract negotiations. The teamsters hinted at a strike while asking for a new contract for their aircraft mechanics. A UPS Airlines spokesperson said that, disputes the teamster's narrative, the union’s claim of a bargaining impasse was "factually baseless." Under the Railway Labor Act – the labor law that governs these negotiations – a strike is not possible unless authorized by the National Mediation Board. Even then, there are a series of fail-safes, including presidential and congressional intervention, designed to prevent any kind of disruption in operations.Louisville Business First's David Mann reported in February that negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS for a new national master contract, which will cover about 250,000 workers, is different this time around because contract talks are not staying behind closed doors