US delivery truck drivers' nationwide strike 'imminent': The Hill

NEW YORK - The Teamsters working for shipping giant UPS said a strike is "imminent" after walking away from the bargaining table, reported The Hill on Wednesday.

The UPS Teamsters said in a statement that it gave UPS a one-week notice on Tuesday to "act responsibly and exchange a stronger economic proposal" to more than 340,000 employees of the shipping company. The Teamsters demanded that UPS deliver its "last, best and final offer" to the union by Friday.

"The largest single-employer strike in American history now appears inevitable," Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien said in a statement.

"Executives at UPS, some of whom get tens of millions of dollars a year, do not care about the hundreds of thousands of American workers who make this company run," he said.

Earlier this month, UPS agreed to "equip all newly purchased US small package delivery vehicles with air conditioning" in 2024.

The company also promised to install additional cab fans and heat shields in delivery trucks, after UPS came under fire for viral social media posts showing excessive temperatures putting drivers in uncomfortable and even dangerous working conditions. "But that momentum appears to have stalled," said the report.

The union has been vocal about how higher inflation and corporate profits have created an untenable situation for working-class employees, it noted.