Image by Salvador Rios.

Like many people, I woke up early last Tuesday morning to find an excited post in my Facebook news feed from the Teamsters: “At 11th Hour, UPS Bows to Teamsters Strike Threat in 7 States.” It boasted that the union has flexed its muscles and that UPS capitulated:

United Parcel Service (UPS) bowed to a credible, coordinated strike threat authorized by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters around midnight after the union demanded the multibillion-dollar corporation cease multiple attacks on workers’ rights.

With picket lines ready to assemble in the early morning hours Tuesday across seven states, the Teamsters secured a handful of settlements from UPS on outstanding grievances as well as a first contract for newly organized workers. At the direction of General President Sean M. O’Brien, Teamsters were prepared to strike UPS at its largest air hub, Worldport, in Louisville, Ky., and across the Chicago area, and to extend picket lines to California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Ohio if UPS did not retreat.

While the Teamsters appear to have walked away from the “strike threat” with a couple of things in hand: grievances settled and a first contract. But, moving the company to implement air conditioning in delivery vehicles and creating full time jobs appears to be as elusive as ever.

The Teamsters freely admitted in their post that:

Under Article 18 of the Teamsters contract, UPS is obligated to deliver at least 28,000 vehicles equipped with air conditioning. The upgraded language marked a significant win for delivery workers, who face extreme heat conditions for months on-end to ensure the company remains successful. Halfway into the agreement, UPS is woefully behind, having rolled out far less than 10 percent of the required new fleet.

“The enforcement of our national contract must now only heat up. We need all members ready to punch back at a moment’s notice,” O’Brien said. “The Teamsters demand that UPS make good now on delivering thousands of additional vehicles with air conditioning to our local unions in Zone 1, the hottest working environments for delivery drivers in the nation. UPS is fully and finally out of time to do right by our members. No more excuses, no more delays.

“No more excuses, no more delays” could be demanded of Teamsters’ General President Sean O’Brien. There have been several opportunities to strike UPS over the last three years but the union has balked every time, despite the bloviating rhetoric from the top leaders of the union.

Many Teamster rank and filers seemed baffled by the proclamation of victory over UPS in social media posts across the internet. Even on the official

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