(WASHINGTON) – The Teamsters Union announced today that a majority of UPS Teamsters have voted to approve a new five-year national contract that contains significant wage increases and other improvements.

The vote on the contract, the largest collective bargaining agreement in North America, was 34,307 to 30,202

The union also announced that UPS Freight Teamsters have rejected a proposed five-year national agreement with UPS Freight by a vote of 1,897 to 4,244.

Highlights of the new UPS contract, which covers about 240,000 union-represented employees, include wage increases totaling $3.90 per hour over the five-year term of the agreement, an increase in the starting part-time wage rate, the creation of 2,350 full-time jobs, protections from harassment and intimidation by supervisors, protections for employees who choose to work fewer hours in a day and guaranteed vacation time for employees coming back from military leave and other improvements. The agreement also maintains the current practice of no employee contributions for monthly premiums for health insurance.

A provision in the contract that changes the health care plan for some UPS Teamsters led to the rejection of 17 local supplements and riders to the national agreement. The provision moves 140,000 UPS Teamsters from their current UPS health plan into a new plan that will be jointly administered by the Teamsters Union and employers. That change was made because during negotiations, UPS said it would cut health benefits that members currently receive in the company plan and raise the cost to employees significantly.

The Teamster negotiating committees responsible for the supplements and riders that were not approved by a majority of voting members will be talking with the members in their areas. In the meantime, the Teamsters Union will schedule meetings to engage the company in further negotiations to achieve our members’ objectives.

The Teamsters National UPS Freight Negotiating Committee will be scheduling negotiations with UPS Freight soon in order to address members’ concerns. That agreement, which covers about 10,000 union-represented workers, will then need to be voted on again by the members.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

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