(BOSTON) – UPS Teamsters, General President Sean M. O’Brien, and General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman rallied at Teamsters Local 25 in Boston on April 2 as they prepare to begin national negotiations for a new contract protecting more than 340,000 package delivery drivers and warehouse logistics workers nationwide.

The Teamsters’ national master agreement with UPS is the largest private-sector collective bargaining agreement in North America. Negotiations for a new deal begin April 17 in Washington, DC. UPS Teamsters are demanding the strongest possible contract and are prepared to strike if UPS fails to deliver by the contract’s expiration on July 31. 

“We will set the tone for organized labor and the entire country with this contract. There is no better organization to set that bar high than the International Brotherhood of Teamsters,” O’Brien said. “We are not going to accept and take what UPS gives us. UPS Teamsters have fire in their eyes and the intestinal fortitude to take on this company.”

“We are going into negotiations, and we told UPS very clearly we want a strong contract for our members and we want it done on time. On August 1, if we don’t have the contract you deserve, there will be no UPS Teamsters working,” Zuckerman said.

“UPS Teamsters have given their sweat equity to this company over the last five years and sacrificed during the pandemic. Now it’s time for UPS to pay up. There will be no concessions,” said Local 25 President Tom Mari.

Full- and part-time UPS Teamsters are united for a contract that guarantees better pay for all workers, more full-time job opportunities, an end to corporate harassment and forced overtime, elimination of a two-tier wage system, and protection from heat and other workplace hazards.

“We are here to send UPS one message — that we are united in this fight. Throughout the pandemic we’ve worked six, seven days a week, and we are going to make sure we get what we deserve,” said Sal Valenti, a UPS Teamster and New England negotiating committee member.

National contract negotiations come just months after UPS reported record profits, including revenue exceeding $100 billion for the first time and pay of $19 million for UPS CEO Carol Tomé.

Additional rallies will kick off nationwide as UPS Teamsters represented at 176 Teamster local unions fight for a more secure future.

To watch the full rally in Boston, go to ibt.io/upsapril2rally.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org  for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/Teamsters.