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Teamsters urges workers to dig in, but strike talks resume
800 units of blood lost due to shipping delays
August 16, 1997
Web posted at: 9:27 a.m. EDT (1327 GMT)WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Negotiators for United Parcel Service and the striking Teamsters were intensely negotiating Saturday, following marathon overnight talks held for the second straight day. The nearly two-week-old walkout was severely disrupting package delivery for businesses and the public.
It was unclear whether any progress had been made during the overnight sessions at a Hyatt hotel, but some observers said the mere fact that both sides were willing to keep talking could signal some movement.
Teamster President Ron Carey said his union was following a two-prong strategy: bolstering picket lines while continuing negotiations with the nation's package-delivery giant.
"What the union historically has done is gone in, negotiate a contract, then brought it back to its members when they reached agreement. What the company has been dictating and intimidating and threatening people is that they want to shove this contract down the members' throats. That has never been done in the past," Carey said Friday.
He added that no agreements had been reached on any of the strike issues, which include UPS' strong reliance on part-time workers, its desire to withdraw from the Teamsters' multi-employer pension fund and the practice of subcontracting.
UPS Chairman James Kelly again criticized the Teamsters for not accepting what he described as a fair offer.
"This is a strike that never should have occurred. Our people are among the highest paid in America. We've offered to improve their wages and benefits and conditions, we think generously. We think they should have had the opportunity to vote on it. We'd certainly like to get it resolved. We'd like our people back to work, and we'd like to begin serving our customers again," Kelly told CNN.
Despite the strong language, Labor Department officials continued to put a positive spin on the negotiations.
"It's very clear they are redoubling their efforts," said Susan King, special assistant to Labor Secretary Alexis Herman, on Friday.
Redoubling efforts was also the watchword for Carey, who announced that the Teamsters were planning a "coordinated action day," next Thursday with rallies in 30 cities.
"This action day will tell big corporations all across America that we've had enough of their part-timing, their subcontracting, their pension stealing and their downsizing," Carey said.
The Teamsters boss added that officials in European labor unions representing UPS workers in Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany would be meeting in Brussels "to develop a plan to escalate the support for UPS workers in the United States." He gave no details.
The strike by 185,000 Teamsters that began August 4 is costing the UPS $200 million to $300 million a week in lost business, and the union is now paying out about $10 million a week in strike benefits. The sides failed to reach agreement on a new contract to replace one that expired June 30.
In other developments:
- Officials from the New Jersey Department of Labor said they turned down a request from UPS for help in finding replacements for striking Teamsters.
- More than 800 units of blood and blood components have spoiled and been destroyed because of delays in shipments since the strike began, according to America's Blood Centers, which called on Teamsters and UPS leaders to donate blood.
Correspondent Carl Rochelle contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Marathon talks continue between UPS, Teamsters - August 15, 1997
- Big Brown grounded as Teamsters strike UPS - August 3, 1997
- Teamsters end talks; UPS strike appears imminent - August 3, 1997
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