National contract negotiations between UPS and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters hit another roadblock Wednesday morning, with the union saying it rejected "an unacceptable offer" from the company.
"Following marathon negotiations, UPS refused to give the Teamsters a last, best, and final offer, telling the union the company had nothing more to give," the Teamsters said Wednesday.
Wages and pensions are among the topics the two sides still need to reach an agreement on, the Teamsters said in a Monday update. Over the weekend, they reached tentative deals on three notable issues, including the end of the “22.4” combination driver job classification. The union has said this classification has created two unequal driver tiers for pay and other areas.
UPS said in a statement that it's proud of its "historic offer that builds on our industry-leading pay," adding that the union should finalize the deal.
"Refusing to negotiate, especially when the finish line is in sight, creates significant unease among employees and customers and threatens to disrupt the U.S. economy," UPS said. "Only our non-union competitors benefit from the Teamsters’ actions."
The current national contract between UPS and the Teamsters expires at the end of the month. The union says it will strike Aug. 1 if an agreement isn't in place, resulting in immense disruptions for the millions of packages flowing through UPS' network each day.
The impasse complicates efforts for negotiators to agree on a new national contract with enough time for union members to review and vote on it before the current agreement's July 31 expiration. According to the Teamsters, UPS vowed last week to reach a deal by July 5.
“UPS had a choice to make, and they have clearly chosen to go down the wrong road," Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a statement.
