Hollywood may not be the only industry on strike — pretty soon, it could be package carriers hitting the box lines, too … namely, thousands of UPS workers.
You may not have heard about it until now, but an apocalypse is fast approaching that could shut down many UPS operations across the country — which would seriously disrupt the supply chain … among other aspects of American life that rely on the shipping/receiving giant.
More than 325,000 UPS workers are poised to walk off the job starting Aug. 1 if their Teamsters union and their UPS bosses can’t hammer out a new labor contract … which has been finalized in recent months but has hit a cash roadblock.
Specifically, the salary of part-time workers is under discussion. Right now, UPS says its PT staff — who make up a significant number of the workforce across the company — earn an average of about $20 an hour after completing a 30-day period. The union is demanding a serious wage increase.
Union leader Prez Sean O’Brien has been quoted in fiery language over the possibility of UPS workers taking to the streets. During a speech at a rally in Atlanta on Saturday, Fri CNN Businesshe said, “We have legalized, strategized, now it’s time to dust.”
BTW, this potential strike wouldn’t just affect ground transportation — a separate union representing UPS pilots has apparently also vowed to join in solidarity if a deal can’t be reached soon … so this would be felt both at home and abroad.
Of course, the backdrop to all of this is the SAG and WGA strikes going on right now — whose members are also demanding a number of things in their negotiations.
While these strikes are more for fun, a UPS strike can really hurt the economy at large.