February 4, 2014: Teamsters in the IBT-UPS Pension Plan were promised a $200 pension increase. But disinformation from the Pension Plan is stranding Teamsters who want to retire in pension limbo.

One of the selling points of the UPS contract was that 50,000 full-time UPSers who get a substandard pension from the IBT-UPS Pension Plan were promised a $200 pension increase.

The IBT’s “Contract Facts” website says that “Once all supplements and riders are approved, negotiated wage and pension increases will be paid retroactively to August 1.”

But UPS Teamsters who call the IBT- UPS Pension Plan about retiring are being told  a different story. 

Pension Plan reps are telling members they need to wait to submit their pension papers until after the contract is ratified to be guaranteed the pension increase. That will be months from now! In the meantime, Teamsters who want to retire are stuck working at UPS and waiting for a straight answer.

An Information Brownout is bad enough. Now Teamsters are getting disinformation from their own pension plan. 

The IBT-UPS Pension Plan covers 50,000 full-time UPSers from locals in the Central and Southern Regions, and the Carolinas, who were formerly covered by the Central States Pension Fund.  

It’s time for the Hoffa-Hall administration and the IBT-UPS plan to stop holding these UPS Teamsters hostage.

The IBT and the Pension Plan needs to come out with a clear guarantee that members who retire now will receive their pension increase retroactive to Aug. 1 as soon as the contract is ratified. 

Members have earned their retirement and their pension increase. They don’t deserve to be stranded in pension limbo because of disinformation from the IBT-UPS Pension Plan.