The Package Division has received some questions about the process by which the National Agreement for UPS and UPS Freight are negotiated. Here is some information to help answer these questions:

• The first step is for Local Unions to hold meetings to solicit proposals for the National Contract from members; those proposals were due by August 31.

• This is followed by Local Unions sending the member proposals to the Screening Committee. The Screening Committee consists primarily of the members of the National Negotiating Committee. The National Negotiating Committee is a cross section of Local Union leaders who represent UPS and UPS Freight employees, including all regions and classifications.

• The next step is for the Screening Committee to review proposals from the Local Unions and decide which ones to submit to the Two-Person meeting. This review was held on September 25, 2017. This is followed by all Local Unions representing UPS and UPS Freight members being invited to the Two-Person meeting.

• At the Two-Person meeting on October 17, 2017, the proposals were explained to the Local Union representatives. The Local Union representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of submitting the Screening Committee’s proposals to the company as the opening proposals.

• When negotiations for the National Contract begin in January, the National Contract proposals that were approved on October 17, 2017 will be submitted to the company.

• Separate from the national negotiations, beginning this month, Supplemental Committees are negotiating with UPS over language contained in the supplements and riders.

• Economic proposals (pension, health and welfare, wages, progressions, etc.) are presented to UPS and UPS Freight after most of the language issues have been dealt with. These proposals are formulated by the National Negotiating committee using the proposals received from the membership as well as information gathered from the various benefit funds. These proposals have not been a part of the Two-Person meeting in the past.

• The National Negotiating Committee and the Two-Person meeting voted overwhelmingly to not allow advance copies of the National Agreement Proposals to leave the Two-Person meeting to ensure that UPS and UPS Freight should not have time to respond to the union’s proposals before negotiations begin. This is consistent with the practice followed in the 2008 and 2013 contract negotiations; there is absolutely no benefit to the membership for UPS and UPS Freight management to be able to view these proposals prior to the start of negotiations.

• The committee wants to hit the ground running after peak season, so it was necessary to start the process now. The company will present its own proposals and the union will respond.

• As negotiations continue, UPS Teamsters can get the latest updates at www.upsrising.org

Click here to download PDF of this update.

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