Ron Carey on the Tentative UPS Contract

The following quote is from a Labor Notes interview with Ron Carey, the man who led the historic UPS contract campaign in 1997:

“The fate of this contract is in the hands of the members. It’s their job to reach out to the brothers and sisters and explain two simple facts:

  • The union did not force UPS to put its best offer on the table.
  • And the membership has a right and the power to vote “no” and to send the negotiators back to the bargaining table to win a fair contract that benefits all of the members.”

Click here to read the entire interview.

UPS: The Next Generation

During this contract ratification campaign (being conducted so enthusiastically by both the Union and the company), I’ve heard references to the “unborn” quite frequently. People trying to sell this contract say things like “You can’t worry about the unborn,” or “This deal may be a little harder on the unborn, but you have to vote on the things that affect you directly.”

The word “unborn” in this instance refers not to fetuses or protesters at the local Planned Parenthood. It refers instead to future Union members. In this specific case, we’re being told not to care that people who come to UPS under the terms of the tentative contract.

Those workers will start out at 8.50 an hour and have to wait a year for medical coverage (18 months for family coverage). How would you feel about paying Union dues for a job where you break your back loading trucks for 8.50 an hour with no benefits for the first year? Why would you want that for anyone else?
Read more…

UPS Contract Ballots on Their Way

The International Union began mailing UPS Contract Ballots late last week. The ballots will be due back by 10 am on Friday, November 16. If you are an eligible UPS-employed member of Local 384 and you don’t receive a ballot by October 31, please be sure to contact the Union to get a replacement ballot.