UPS, Teamsters Agree to Start Early Contract Talks

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PS Inc. and the Teamsters union have agreed to begin early talks on a new contract within the next 30 to 45 days, the parties said late Tuesday.

“By starting early negotiations, we will have plenty of time to discuss complex issues such as employee pensions, health care and other subjects important to UPS and to our employees,” UPS said in a statement.

Separate from the parties’ parcel-business contract, the two also agreed to a “card check” process in the union’s attempt to organize at UPS Freight, Bloomberg reported.

Under such a process, the union can gain representation by collecting signed cards from a majority of workers, avoiding a formal election, Bloomberg reported.

UPS Freight is the renamed Overnite Corp. less-than-truckload carrier that UPS acquired for $1.25 billion last August. (Click here for previous coverage.)

The Teamsters in early June had sought to begin early negotiations with the company over retirement and health care benefits. (Click here for previous coverage.)

The Teamsters union has been meeting this week in Las Vegas.

UPS is ranked No. 1 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.