Georgia UPS employees plan to strike in order to seek better pay and working conditions.

 Georgia UPS employees plan to strike in order to seek better pay and working conditions.

Jess Lister, an employee of UPS, stated that "UPS trucks will come to a screeching halt nationwide, causing a lot of issues." if UPS employees walk out

Atlanta News First: GRIFFIN, Georgia On Saturday morning, as negotiations between UPS and its workers from throughout the country came to a standstill, dozens of UPS employees gathered in Griffin to rehearse a picket line.

Some UPS employees in metro Atlanta say they're ready to strike if the two parties can't come to an agreement by the deadline of August 1. Thousands of workers around the country would be affected by the walkout.

In case conversations do not result in agreements that satisfy our demands, we are practicing. There won't be any service inside or outside of these structures. We are getting ready for the big day on August 1. The statewide shutdown of UPS trucks would result in numerous problems, according to Jess Lister, a part-time UPS employee.

Better working conditions and more pay are the main issues that many employees are striving for, according to Lister, a UPS employee in Georgia.

"Despite completing arduous job, we are paid poverty salaries. We generate enormous earnings for our business because we are aware of the available funding. We want the return of our labor because we are aware of its value.

The business seeks a settlement that will appease its employees, clients, and investors while enabling UPS to compete successfully against non-unionized rivals like FedEx Corp. and Amazon.com.

We don't require forced overtime. We also want to spend time with our families because we have them. Our customers are very important to us. Every day, we work extremely hard to provide excellent service. All we need is a solid contract," Lister stated.

UPS Teamsters voted by "an overwhelming 97 percent to authorize a strike, giving the union maximum leverage to win demands at the bargaining table," according to a union statement. The Teamsters and UPS started negotiating on April 17.

More than half of UPS's workforce, or around 340,000 workers, are represented by the Teamsters, according to the Associated Press. A contract dispute caused 185,000 UPS workers to take a 15-day leave of absence 25 years ago.

The leading postal service in the world and the potent labor union continue to disagree on wages and profits. Part-time package handlers in UPS warehouses start off at $15.50 an hour, which, according to the workers, is not a living wage. About half of the employment held by UPS Teamsters are temporary warehouse work.

For part-time employees, we need beginning pay of $25, according to Lister. "All we're fighting for is a solid, fair, and good deal. Protections against unfair discipline and harassment are necessary. Better pay is needed for everyone, everywhere.

The Teamsters' vote was already recognized by UPS. The corporation earlier stated in a statement that "the results do not indicate that a strike is imminent and do not have any effect on our current business operations." Votes for and against authorization are typical procedures in labor union discussions. We are making progress on important topics and are still optimistic that we will reach a deal that benefits our workers, the Teamsters, our business, and our clients.

According to the Associated Press, a strike would likely result in one of the largest workplace walkouts in American history, if not the largest, with far-reaching consequences for the economy.

The Teamsters seek a contract that helps them grow their membership by allocating billions of dollars in UPS profits to the workers.

The financial effects of a UPS strike might be significant. According to the business, it contributes roughly 6% of the country's gross domestic product. According to the international shipping and logistics company Pitney Bowes, it distributes around 25 million parcels per day, or nearly a quarter of the total number of shipments shipped within the United States. That is around 10 million more packages than it daily delivered in the years prior to the outbreak.

On July 31, the Teamsters and UPS contract comes to an end.