UPS reaches 5-year contract deals with Teamsters

[April 26, 2013]  ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) -- UPS and the Teamsters union say they have reached tentative deals on five-year contracts covering workers in the company's small-package and freight business units.

The union says the contracts cover nearly 250,000 workers at UPS and UPS Freight.

The Teamsters union describes the UPS contract as the largest collective bargaining agreement in North America. It says the tentative agreement gives workers in that unit "substantial" pay raises.

The union says the UPS Freight deal includes provisions that could lead to more part-time workers to become full-time.

The current contracts expire on July 31. The new deals still must be ratified by Teamster-represented United Parcel Service Inc. employees. If ratified the contracts will take effect on Aug. 1.

[Associated Press]

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