July 31, 2008: A tentative agreement has just been reached between Chicago Local 705 and UPS on a new contract covering some 11,000 Chicagoland Teamsters. The union bargained down to the wire, negotiating to the last day before expiration. Management was forced to start diverting packages away from Chicago, and major shippers were near to canceling shipping contracts. The union also put nearly 200 deadlocked grievances on the table, to end management stonewalling. On the...

Members of Local 705 of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in the Chicago area have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike against parcel delivery giant UPS. Officials with Local 705 told BNA July 24 that negotiations toward a new five-year agreement are continuing with UPS, but rank and file Teamsters voted to strike beginning Aug. 1 if no resolution is reached. Local 705 Secretary-Treasurer Steve Pocztowski was in negotiations and could not be reached for...

July 17, 2008: Are new sensors appearing on your package car? UPS is expanding its use of new technology to monitor vehicles, and drivers, like never before. The company’s new “telematics program” uses computer technology to combine data UPS gathers through GPS, the DIAD board and new sensors that are being mounted on package cars in pilot areas. More than 200 new sensors are being mounted on select package cars to gather information on everything...