Following the breakdown of contract talks between UPS and the union representing 340,000 of its workers, UPS has announced that it will begin training nonunion employees in the U.S. as a contingency plan in the event of a strike. The union has vowed to strike if no agreement is reached by the end of the month.

UPS clarified that the training is a temporary measure and will not impact current operations. The company stated that while progress has been made in the negotiations and an agreement is close, it has a responsibility as an essential service provider to prepare for the possibility of a strike.

Both UPS and the Teamsters, the union representing the workers, blamed each other for the breakdown in talks. With the July 31 deadline approaching rapidly, negotiations appear to be at a standstill.

Last month, Teamster-represented UPS workers voted in favor of a strike authorization, and union chief Sean O’Brien has previously indicated that a strike is imminent, the Associated Press has reported.

In a dry-run picketing event in Brooklyn, New York, on Friday, O’Brien joined union workers to demonstrate their readiness.

The Teamsters criticized UPS for prioritizing other matters over the welfare of its workforce. They urged UPS to cease investing time and resources in training strikebreakers and instead return to the negotiating table with a substantial economic offer.

The Teamsters represent over half of UPS’s workforce, making it the largest private-sector contract in North America.

If a strike were to occur, it would be the first since a 15-day walkout by 185,000 workers 25 years ago, which severely impacted the company.

Written by staff