Above Photo: Teamsters press for a good contract.(Fight Back! News/staff).
Commerce City, Colorado – On June 24, rank-and-file Teamsters stood out in front of the gate of the Commerce City UPS hub outside Denver to speak out against the economic proposals UPS submitted during negotiations. These proposals include wildly unpopular ideas, such as the creation of a two-tier wage system for preloaders and a $17 per hour starting wage. As people were walking out of the gate, many workers flocked to the table, insulted by these proposals and ready for further action.
“They think we’re worth $17 an hour; this is what UPS thinks of their preloaders,” Kat Draken, a Teamster shop steward, furiously stated, “they must think we’re joking about striking.”
This economic proposal comes just as the Teamsters called for practice pickets in the coming weeks. During the speakout, around 50 workers signed up for updates regarding the next steps, ready to show UPS that they are ready to fight for what they are worth.
Some workers stated how depressing it was that UPS was trying to lowball them in this way, but most spoke with optimism.
Keegan Estrella, a rank-and-file member of the Teamsters, stated, “We are living through a historic contract fight before our very eyes, and that is due to the work of the rank-and-file workers like you and me standing up and saying enough is enough. People are starting to recognize that we are the ones who make UPS all their money, and we can stop that at any time.”
There are fewer than five weeks until the Teamsters vote on this historic contract. In the meantime, many locals will be out practice-picketing, trying to organize as many members as possible for the upcoming fight.