Picket practice held in West Springfield as UPS Teamsters strike looms
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) — Time is ticking for United Parcel Service(UPS) and labor union “Teamsters” to reach a deal, as workers demand changes to wages and workforce structure. The union plans to strike nationwide if a deal is not struck by the end of the month.
“If we don’t get it, shut it down!,” were the chants that could be heard by the striking Teamsters members on Sunday. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 340,000 UPS employees and these employees have threatened to strike if changes aren’t made to their contract, which expires at the end of the month.
As of now, negotiations hang in the balance as UPS workers all over the country host ‘practice pickets’ like the one here in West Springfield. Several local workers came together to picket for about two hours Sunday morning explaining to 22News why a new contract is so important to employees, and what they want included in it.
“There’s over 100,000 part-timers of Teamsters throughout the country that work for this company, and they’re severely underpaid,” expressed Springfield Teamsters Local 404 Secretary Treasurer, Jay Osowski, “You know, we’ve got single moms, single fathers, trying to raise a family, working here because they can only do part-time hours. You know, living in shelters, living in their cars, can’t afford housing because of the wages that this company is paying them.”
In a statement released July 5th, UPS said in part, “We’re proud of what we’ve put forward. The Teamsters should return to the table…,” while also referring to their pay as ‘industry-leading.’
If the deal is not made by the end of the month and workers strike, delivery disruptions are likely to increase demand on other package carriers.
Source: WWLP.com
