September 28, 2012: Yesterday the International Union gave UPS management the union's initial contract proposals. This is your contract and TDU is making our Union's proposals available to members to download and review.
Click here to download and review the proposals.
Contract talks will resume in mid-October. Negotiations this fall will focus on language and working conditions. Economic issues, including wages, pensions and health and welfare will be addressed beginning in January, according to the IBT.
The IBT has promised to fight for improved pensions, increased wages, and to protect health benefits. The Company and the IBT have agreed on March 31 as the target date for an agreement. The contract doesn't expire until July 31.
The first page of the International Union's bargaining demands includes a strongly-worded "Note on Harassment" that hammers on the many areas where the company has been exploiting loopholes in the current agreement to ride all over UPSers.
This preamble states that the union will be making proposals to deal with these issues. Chief negotiator Ken Hall also issued a press release saying there will be no agreement reached unless harassment is dealt with to the union's satisfaction.
But so far the IBT has offered few specific proposals on harassment.
The opening proposals spell out some good new language on supervisors working (Article 3), retaliation for comp claims (Article 14) and discipline based solely on technology (Article 6). A comprehensive proposal on the company's use of technology is promised.
Members will also have to wait to see what proposals the IBT has in mind on excessive overtime, over-dispatch, 9.5, 8-hour requests and harassment. The Union's opening proposal on Article 37, which covers these issues, is blank.
The packet states that SurePost "has expanded far beyond what was originally proposed" and that the Union can no longer agree to continue the program without firm restrictions on size and weight limits on packages and other protections. (Article 26)
Hoffa told the National Press Club that winning more full-time 22.3 jobs will be a priority of the agreement. Language is proposed that would guarantee that 22.3 jobs would remain in a Local Union's jurisdiction once they are created and filled.
But so far, there is no proposal on creating more full-time jobs or even on accounting for the 22.3 jobs the company illegally eliminated during this contract.
The IBT has indicated that additional proposals on 22.3 job creation will be submitted during bargaining on economics.
The only demand relating to part-time employees is to change the six-to-one ratio for bidding into vacant full-time jobs to eight-to-one.
More proposals will be submitted later, including important economic demands for part-timers. Local Union officers at the two-person meeting in Chicago overwhelmingly endorsed that the Union demand an increase in part-time starting pay.
Bargaining will take place on regional supplements and local riders across the country. Members have a legal right to vote on their supplement, as well as the national contract, after a tentative agreement is reached.
The UPS and UPS Freight contracts don't expire until August 1, 2013. Management wants an early deal to remove any threat of a work stoppage or last-minute contract rejection. In return, our union and members have every right to demand a strong contract.
We only get the chance to bargain a contract every five years. We need to make the most of this opportunity to address the many problems at UPS.
Members are encouraged to review the packet of proposals submitted so far—and give their feedback. The union has the right to make additions, deletions or modifications to its demands. The time to speak up is now.
The International Union did not receive any bargaining proposals from the Company. Those will require careful review too.
TDU will continue to keep members informed and build rank-and-file unity to Make UPS Deliver the contract we deserve. Click here to sign up for contract updates or to send a message to TDU.