LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - UPS workers and the local Teamsters Union are once again negotiating contracts with UPS, and things seem to be heating up.
On Tuesday, around 24 or so UPS drivers staged a protest outside the UPS Operation Center on Bluegrass Parkway. They're concerned about proposed "hybrid drivers." These drivers would work weekends, and would be paid significantly less than other drivers, for doing the exact same job.
"As a union, that's always something that we oppose," said Teamsters Local 89 communications director Stephen Piercey. "If you're gonna be doing the exact same work, especially if you're working on the weekends which is a less desirable shift, you should be making the same as everybody else."
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Teamsters have voted to authorize a strike, but say they hope to avoid one. They say it's mostly a negotiation tool.
UPS sent WAVE 3 News the following statement in regards to Tuesday morning's protests:
"At UPS, we respect our employees’ right to assemble and voice their concerns. Informational pickets, like those seen today [Tuesday] on Bluegrass Parkway, are a normal part of the negotiations process and a common union tactic to put public pressure on the company.
UPS is confident in our ability to reach an agreement that meets the needs of our employees and the business. The reality is that UPS and the Teamsters have already reached tentative agreements on a variety of non-economic issues, subject to ratification, and we expect talks to continue."
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