Teamsters vote overwhelmingly to authorize strike against UPS if no deal reached

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United Parcel Service workers represented by the Teamsters voted Friday by a 97% margin to authorize a strike, which would be the biggest for a single employer in United States history.

The union vote now sets a seven-week countdown until worker contracts expire on July 31. If an agreement between the union and the company isn’t reached by then, the workers could begin striking the following day, a move that would have enormous economic consequences.

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“This vote shows that hundreds of thousands of Teamsters are united and determined to get the best contract in our history at UPS,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said. "If this multibillion-dollar corporation fails to deliver on the contract that our hardworking members deserve, UPS will be striking itself.”

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The union, which represents more than 340,000 workers, is touting the 97% vote as giving it “maximum leverage” to negotiate with UPS in the coming weeks.

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A strike would also put President Joe Biden, who has described himself as the most pro-union president in history, in a difficult position politically.

Biden, who already has low economic approval ratings, would be pressured to intervene to prevent further damage to the economy and supply chains, but doing so could threaten crucial blue-collar union support heading into what is expected to be a tight 2024 presidential election.

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