Parcel delivery giant UPS avoids first strike in 25 years

UPS has avoided its archetypal US onslaught successful much than 25 years arsenic the national representing its workers said a caller five-year declaration has been approved.

The 2 sides person been negotiating for months implicit demands including higher wage and amended moving conditions.

In July, UPS and the Teamsters national agreed connected a woody to rise the mean yearly wage of full-time drivers to astir $170,000 (£133,440), including healthcare and different benefits.

That is up from astir $145,000.

The woody besides gives workers 1 much time of paid holiday, ends forced overtime and adds aerial conditioning to caller models of the company's trucks from adjacent year.

"This is the template for however workers should beryllium paid and protected nationwide, and non-union companies similar Amazon amended wage attention," the wide president of Teamsters Sean M O'Brien said.

The Atlanta-based steadfast is the world's largest bundle transportation company, with much than 20 cardinal deliveries a time successful much than 220 countries astir the world.

In 2020, UPS estimated that the goods it handled were worthy astir 6% of the US economy, including time-sensitive shipments for healthcare firms and others.

Workers astatine Amazon and different transportation firms person pointed to the statement arsenic they pushed for their ain wage raises.

Unions representing "essential" proscription workers specified arsenic pilots, larboard workers and transportation drivers person been enjoying stronger bargaining powerfulness successful caller months owed to the country's choky jobs market.

Economists are watching the wage increases closely, arsenic immoderate interest higher wages could commencement to provender into an ostentation occupation that started with pandemic-related proviso issues.

US ostentation deed a highest of 9.1% past year, acold supra the cardinal bank's 2% target. But it has eased importantly arsenic the daze to nutrient and vigor prices from the warfare successful Ukraine has faded.

This year, wage maturation has started to outpace ostentation which means that it could commencement to propulsion up prices arsenic consumers walk much money.