Work Reform

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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.

Our Philosophies:

All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.

Our Goals

Higher wages for underpaid workers.
Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
Better and fewer working hours.
Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.

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“We’ve Changed the Game”: Teamsters Win Historic UPS Contract (teamster.org)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Today, the Teamsters reached the most historic tentative agreement for workers in the history of UPS, protecting and rewarding more than 340,000 UPS Teamsters nationwide. The overwhelmingly lucrative contract raises wages for all workers, creates more full-time jobs, and includes dozens of workplace protections and improvements. The UPS Teamsters National Negotiating Committee unanimously endorsed the five-year tentative agreement.

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[–] [email protected] 65 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

The headline makes it sound like a win, but the actual UPS drivers are NOT happy with the raises secured. They still get to vote on whether or not they accept these terms.

ETA: Others have since chimed in, direct sources correcting these numbers. I’m glad to read that the deal is much better than it looked like at first. Thanks for the correction and apologies for misunderstanding. Sounds like $10+ over 5 years. New hires will be at $21, but senior drivers have and retain loyalty raises.

~~It’s just $2.75 up front, then $1.88 per year over 5 years. So $7.50 total after 5 years- people needed more immediately, and wanted at least $10 total over time. This only brings them to $21 per hour— Still very low for commercial driving and the work they do. To add to the frustration, there will be no reward for employee loyalty, with all drivers receiving the same $21, regardless of seniority- even new hires.~~

I’m in active UPS group chats- people are feeling like the negotiators fell very short, frustration is high, and the plan is to vote No on this new contract. They vote Aug 3-21.

[–] gravitas_deficiency 19 points 1 year ago

And you know what? If the union vote rejects the deal… that’s organized labor working as intended.

Nothing will change until management/corporate leadership understands that workers can and will bring companies to their knees if they’re not sharing in the success of the company.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Oh yeah that isn't going to be accepted by the actual workers.

Since it's an obvious no, is there talk about the strike still being on? I'm adjacent to this field and we are preparing and ready for them to strike so they get a good contract

[–] douxfroufrou 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

In the discussions I’m following, people are still waiting to find out what they managed to negotiate with regards to their pension. If there is enough improvement there, it might offset their disappointment enough to vote yes.

I don’t see people talking much about striking or not just now.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sigh. It's an immediate 2.75 bump in pay with a 7.50 over the 5 year contract. That adds up to over 10.

I make full rate right now. 41 per hour. That puts me over 51 per hour at the end. All will full benefits and pension. I don't know who you're talking to, but they ain't no driver and they don't know what they are talking about.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Highlights of the tentative 2023-2028 UPS Teamsters National Master Agreement include:

Historic wage increases. Existing full- and part-time UPS Teamsters will get $2.75 more per hour in 2023, and $7.50 more per hour over the length of the contract.

Existing part-timers will be raised up to no less than $21 per hour immediately, and part-time seniority workers earning more under a market rate adjustment would still receive all new general wage increases.

General wage increases for part-time workers will be double the amount obtained in the previous UPS Teamsters contract — and existing part-time workers will receive a 48 percent average total wage increase over the next five years.

Wage increases for full-timers will keep UPS Teamsters the highest paid delivery drivers in the nation, improving their average top rate to $49 per hour.

Current UPS Teamsters working part-time would receive longevity wage increases of up to $1.50 per hour on top of new hourly raises, compounding their earnings.

New part-time hires at UPS would start at $21 per hour and advance to $23 per hour.

All UPS Teamster drivers classified as 22.4s would be reclassified immediately to Regular Package Car Drivers and placed into seniority, ending the unfair two-tier wage system at UPS.

Safety and health protections, including vehicle air conditioning and cargo ventilation. UPS will equip in-cab A/C in all larger delivery vehicles, sprinter vans, and package cars purchased after Jan. 1, 2024. All cars get two fans and air induction vents in the cargo compartments.

All UPS Teamsters would receive Martin Luther King Day as a full holiday for the first time.

No more forced overtime on Teamster drivers’ days off. Drivers would keep one of two workweek schedules and could not be forced into overtime on scheduled off-days.

UPS Teamster part-timers will have priority to perform all seasonal support work using their own vehicles with a locked-in eight-hour guarantee. For the first time, seasonal work will be contained to five weeks only from November-December.

The creation of 7,500 new full-time Teamster jobs at UPS and the fulfillment of 22,500 open positions, establishing more opportunities through the life of the agreement for part-timers to transition to full-time work.

More than 60 total changes and improvements to the National Master Agreement — more than any other time in Teamsters history — and zero concessions from the rank-and-file.

Sounds like a win to me.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

@numnum

@skhayfa your wording is a little confusing - you said this will only bring them to $21, and and that they were hoping for more than $10. A) this will bring them to $21 today, with 4 more guaranteed yearly increases bringing the total to $28.52. B) if I'm understanding correctly, minimum pay today is $18.25, so this would cumulatively be a $10.27 raise over 5 years.

What would an actually good contract look like? To me, I can definitely understand why this would be dissapointing. But I can also understand why some people would be willing to accept a greater than 50% wage increase over 5 years as a win.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Why would employees want to reward employee loyalty or seniority though?