Teamsters, UPS Freight Begin Contract Talks

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he International Brotherhood of Teamsters began contract talks with UPS Freight workers in Indianapolis, marking the beginning of an initiative to organize more than 15,000 workers at the former Overnite Transportation, Teamsters said Thursday.

The talks, which cover about 125 drivers and dock workers who recently voted to join Teamsters Local 135, are the first step toward negotiating a model contract for organizing the rest of UPS Freight’s more than 300 terminals across the country.

UPS Freight spokesman Ira Rosenfeld told Transport Topics the talks were preliminary, adding that there have been no proposals from the Teamsters as of Thursday.

In June, Teamsters began its attempt to organize workers the former Overnite, which is historically non-union, with a “card check” process. (Click here for previous coverage.)