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Informal talks under way in UPS strike
August 15, 1997
Web posted at: 10:25 a.m. EDT (1425 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Representatives of United Parcel Service and the Teamsters union resumed their informal talks on Friday, picking up where they left off after meetings that lasted into the early-morning hours.
Friday was the 12th day of the walkout against the nations' largest package delivery service.
Shortly before 2 a.m. Friday, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service spokesman Dave Helfert announced that the two sides had agreed to recess for several hours.
"There are some serious numbers to be crunched. It's going to take several hours. When the work is done, they will reconvene," he said.
After 16 hours of talks Thursday, Helfert said, "The mediators suggested we take a break, a nap, a shower."
The talks between UPS and the Teamsters, overseen by federal mediator John Calhoun Wells, were being characterized by all sides as informal talks, rather than a formal negotiating session.
But key decision makers from both sides attended the talks at a Hyatt hotel in Washington, as did U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman.
UPS and the Teamsters agreed to Thursday's talks at the behest of Herman, who earlier in the day said she believed there were promising signs that the two sides might settle the strike.
"Their presence here today is a clear signal of their commitment to redouble their efforts to try to reach a settlement," Herman said. "I urge them to stay at the table until they reach a settlement."
Earlier, Teamsters President Ron Carey canceled a planned appearance at a rally in Atlanta so that he could stay at the talks in Washington. Herman canceled a scheduled trip Friday to her hometown, Mobile, Alabama.
UPS chief signals flexibility on pension flap
The main sticking points between UPS and the Teamsters involve the company's use of part-time, instead of full-time, workers; a UPS proposal to pull out of the Teamsters' multi-employer pension fund; and subcontracting. More than half of the Teamsters on strike are part-time workers.
In a telephone interview Thursday from the company's Atlanta headquarters, UPS Chairman James Kelly indicated that the company might be willing to compromise on the pension issue, which Teamsters officials have said would be a deal-breaker.
"We think the pension issue is very important for both our people and the future of our company," he said. "But as I said, there is no one or two single issues that will determine whether we're able to reach agreement."
Kelly said Thursday that if the latest talks produced progress, it could lead UPS to eventually drop what it has until now termed its "last, best and final" offer.
Later, the company stressed that while it was exploring all options in the informal talks, there had been no change in its formal negotiating position.
Poll: Public supports strikers 2-1
A new CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll found that the public supports the strikers over UPS by a 55-27 percent margin. However, nearly two thirds of those surveyed said striking workers should get to vote on UPS' last offer, as company officials have requested. The union has declined to put the offer before its membership.
The poll also found little support for requests by UPS and business groups for President Clinton to intervene in the dispute and issue a back-to-work order.
Only 21 percent of those polled believe Clinton should intervene. And only 28 percent said they had personally been affected by the strike.
The survey of 819 adults was taken August 12-13 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Other unions pony up support
Other unions have shown their support for the 185,000 striking Teamsters by offering to help the union build a massive fund to pay striking workers in the event of a prolonged strike.
"The labor movement is solidly behind the Teamsters at UPS," AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said Thursday. "We hope that the strike will be resolved and that a good contract will come out of it."
To support the Teamsters, three airlines -- Evergreen International, Southern Air Transport and Transcontinental -- have agreed not to haul goods affected by the strike, said James Sutton, vice president of the Independent Pilots Association, which represents 2,000 UPS pilots.
"Airlines carrying struck UPS goods are only making matters worse for everyone. By helping UPS limp along, they are prolonging the strike," Sutton said.
The strike has snarled package delivery and impacted thousands of businesses large and small. Some companies affected by the strike have begun laying off workers, as the dispute's impact ripples across the nation's economy.
Correspondent Gene Randall and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Union leader: UPS pilots could strike near Christmas - August 14, 1997
- Strike support waning among some UPS employees - August 13, 1997
- UPS strike: Talking but no talks - August 13, 1997
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