As it continues negotiations with UPS, the Teamsters union will hold a national strike authorization vote this weekend.

Union officials want to put the pressure on UPS to speed up negotiations. The contract expires July 31.
"For a company that says it wants an early agreement, negotiations sure are moving slowly," said Teamsters President James P. Hoffa. "It is time to jump-start negotiations. It is time to get down to business. It is time to address the issues that are important to our members."
Ken Hall, the union's new co-chair of negotiations and director of the Parcel and Small Package Division, questioned the company's failure to answer union information requests. "If they are serious, we should not be here in mid-May still seeking information from the company -- information the union is entitled to receive and is necessary to formulate our proposals," he said.
UPS says it “remains optimistic that a balanced and fair agreement can be reached in a timely fashion with no disruption in service to customers.” In a statement, the company emphasized that the Teamsters’ vote for strike authorization does not mean the Teamsters are going to strike. “This vote is a normal part of the negotiating process and simply gives the IBT Negotiating Committee the right to call for a job action if there is no agreement when the current contract expires on July 31, 2002.”
Next week, UPS and the Teamsters will resume negotiations on the National Master Agreement.