The Teamsters union said Friday that negotiations with Sandy Springs-based UPS are set to restart next Tuesday.
The talks will resume with just a week remaining to reach a labor deal and avert a strike, before the UPS contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union representing 340,000 workers is set to expire. The union has threatened to strike if the two sides don’t come to an agreement by Aug. 1.
The two sides had been at a stalemate since July 5, when negotiations broke down. The union has said one of the key sticking points was pay for part-time workers. That impasse continued until Tuesday, when both sides said talks would resume next week. On Friday afternoon, the Teamsters posted on Twitter that contract negotiations would resume July 25.
UPS issued a statement saying: “We look forward to meeting the Teamsters at the negotiating table on Tuesday, July 25, to resolve the few remaining open issues.”
“With the contract expiration less than two weeks away, we need to work quickly to finalize a fair deal that provides certainty for our customers, our employees and businesses across the country,” UPS said. “We started these negotiations prepared to increase the already industry-leading pay and benefits we provide our full and part-time union employees and are committed to reaching an agreement that will do just that.”
The company also said Friday that “We’re confident we can reach an agreement by Aug. 1.”
The negotiations for the largest private collective bargaining agreement in North America began in April, and the two sides by late June had already reached tentative agreements on dozens of matters, including a deal for UPS to equip new trucks with air conditioning and other agreements on issues including safety and health, subcontracting and overtime rules.
That cleared the way for negotiations on major economic issues including pay raises, benefits, and the union’s push for elimination of a two-tier pay system and the company’s hiring of drivers using their personal vehicles.
