Teamsters win first contract at UPS Freight

Workers at UPS Freight’s Indianapolis terminal ratified their first contract negotiated between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and parent company United Parcel Service by a vote of 107-1.

The move is the first step in a larger effort by the Teamsters to organize workers at UPS Freight, formerly named Overnite Transportation, which had successfully fought against earlier organizing efforts and a three-year strike conducted by the Teamsters from 1999 to 2002.

“Now we will help thousands of other UPS Freight employees win the same protections and guarantees on the job that the Indianapolis workers have,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamster general president. “After UPS Freight workers join the Teamster family, we will focus our future organizing efforts at FedEx Freight.”

UPS bought Overnite in 2006 for $1.25 billion in cash and renamed it UPS Freight. Since UPS’ workers are represented by the Teamsters, organizing efforts began shortly thereafter. Indianapolis was chosen to be the first of 300 UPS Freight terminals for unionization efforts.