United Parcel Service (UPS) driver pushes a dolly of packages towards a delivery van on a street in New York.
Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg | Getty Images
UPS and the union representing more than 300,000 workers at the package carrier on Tuesday said they reached a preliminary labor deal, narrowly avoiding a strike that was set to start in the coming days.
“Together we reached a win-win-win agreement on the issues that are important to Teamsters leadership, our employees and to UPS and our customers,” UPS CEO Carol Tome. “This agreement continues to reward UPS’s full- and part-time employees with industry-leading pay and benefits while retaining the flexibility we need to stay competitive, serve our customers and keep our business strong.”
The tentative deal still faces a ratification vote by workers.
The union had planned a massive strike after July 31 if the two sides didn’t reach a deal.
The Teamsters said the deal includes wage increases for both full- and part-time workers.
“The union went into this fight committed to winning for our members. We demanded the best contract in the history of UPS, and we got it,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a statement. “UPS has put $30 billion in new money on the table as a direct result of these negotiations.”
