Part-Time Poverty Wages

August 3, 2011: The minimum wage in Washington State is now $8.67 an hour according to Washington State Labor and Industries. That is 17 cents more than the starting rate for part-timers in the UPS contract.

In 1997, minimum wage was $5.15. Teamster General President Ron Carey and the members fought to raise the starting rate to $8.50. That’s 68 percent higher than the minimum wage at the time.

If we kept up with that equivalent, UPS starting wage would be $14.31—nearly $6 more than it is today and well above the minimum wage.

We have Teamsters who work the Spokane Hub who can’t afford gas to get to work because $8.67 times 17.5 hours a week minus the initiation fee and dues leaves almost nothing.

It’s damned hard to get these young guys to feel pride at being a Teamster when this is the kind of union welcome they get at the guard shack.

By Tim Hill, UPS Feeder Driver Local 690, Spokane, Wash.

Get Advice Join TDU Donate

Recent News

Yellow Terminals Sold for $1.9 Billion – XPO and Estes are Big Buyers

Most of Yellow’s terminal properties closed at auction on December 4, with XPO the biggest buyer, paying $870 million or nearly half of the $1.9 billion that the 128 properties yielded. XPO bought 28 properties and Estes bought 24.

Online Workshop: From Contract Campaign to Contract Enforcement

Hundreds of UPS Teamsters joined us to hear about moving from contract campaign to contract enforcement this Sunday. See a recording of our UPS Teamsters United webinar with guest speaker General President Sean O'Brien below. 

View More News Posts