The Union says that it entered into early negotiations to address member concerns that their pension and health and welfare benefit fund were in jeopardy, according to Jim Hoffa, chairman of the Teamsters National UPS Negotiating committee and Ken Hall, the co-chair.
Now the Union says, “Unfortunately, the company has been unable to present a comprehensive response to the Union’s economic demands because of differences between the company and several benefit funds over the amount of new company money that is necessary to maintain and improve existing benefits.” The contract covers the company's parcel workers.
In response, according to published reports, Norman Black, UPS spokesperson says, “The talks between the two main negotiating committees on the national master contract have been temporarily recessed while UPS works to obtain some additional information from Union pension funds.”
While negotiations over terms of the national contract have been suspended, the two sides do continue to bargain over working conditions covered in the contract's supplementals.
