
UPS drivers have organized a protest against the 70 hour work weeks expected of them during this holiday season.
The announcement regarding the protest was made on Monday, December 3rd and many UPS drivers began protesting in South Boston, Massachusetts on the same day.
According to the Teamsters Website, this year, UPS did not plan in advance for the holiday season and failed to hire extra seasonal drivers to lessen the workload of the regular drivers. Because of this, UPS simply increased the hours of regular workers, putting a strain on the employees and “callously ignoring the plans they [regular drivers] may have made for spending time with their families during this holiday season… without any notice.”
Now, UPS workers are protesting that unfair treatment by holding demonstrations against this “nationwide issue jeopardizing the safety of drivers and the general public.”
“Teamsters who usually show up for work 45 minutes early [on Monday] will instead demonstrate against the unfair move by management this holiday season,” Boston Teamster members told CBS Boston.
If UPS fails to meet their demands, the Teamsters are threatening legal action. However, UPS claims that the 70 hour work schedule is “in compliance with Department of Transportation requirements,” and is necessary for the 750 million packages they expect to deliver between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. “Union-represented employees are paid time and one-half for work above 40 hours per week and they receive the industry’s most attractive compensation and benefits program,” UPS said in a statement.
“UPS appreciates the exceptional effort of all employees during our peak holiday shipping season, when daily delivery volumes are near double the normal level…. the company hires an additional 95,000 personnel to work on our facilities and as driver helpers.”
Despite the claims of UPS, Teamsters are still concerned about the safety of working such long hours. “No package or bottom line of a balance sheet is more important than the safety and well-being of our members and the general public we serve,” said Sean O’Brien, president of Teamsters Local 25.