The largest private sector labor contract in the US is set to expire at midnight on July 31; as negotiations continue to play out, we will soon see whether or not the 350,000 Teamsters working for United Parcel Services (UPS) will hit the picket line and wage one of the largest strikes in US history. As Sean Orr, a UPS package-car driver and elected shop steward for Teamsters Local 705 in Chicago, and Elliot Lewis, a UPS package-car driver and alternate shop steward for Teamsters Local 804 in New York City, recently wrote in Jacobin, “This contract fight is about two visions of work in the twenty-first century. One is promoted by workers: equal pay for equal work, dignity and autonomy on the job, and a stable work-life balance. The other is promoted by Wall Street: hypersurveillance, low pay, subcontracting, gig work, and ‘flexible’ scheduling practices that hurt workers and benefit bosses.” In this episode, we talk to Sean Orr about growing up in a de-industrializing Milwaukee, his path to becoming a Teamster and working for UPS, why the current contract fight is such a pivotal moment for the Teamsters and the labor movement, and what we can all do to stand in solidarity with all UPS workers.
Click here for additional links: https://workingpeople.libsyn.com/sean-orr
Audio Post-Production / Music: Jules Taylor
The Real News is an independent, viewer-supported, radical media network. Help us expand our in-depth analysis and coverage from Baltimore to Bangladesh by subscribing and becoming a member today!
Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-yt
Sign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/nl-yt
Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnews
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews
** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
Actors and writers are already striking. They busted the railroad strikes. Our biggest chance at winning the fight is to make it a general workers strike for everyone making less than a living wage✊✊
Can we form a sentence without saying "Like" 8 times per sentence please?
United Parcel Service Strike
LOOK, THE BANKERS CONTROL THE WORLD….WAKE UP….I AM 79YRS ON THE PLANET….NIXON WENT TO CHINA FOR THE CHEAP LABOR….I WAS A UAW REP…CHINA STARTED DUMPING CHEAP STEEL IN TO THE USA MARKET, AND THE POLICITAL CLASS ALOUD THIS COUTINUE…THEN THEY ALOUDED CHEAP CARS FROM CHINA INTO THE USA MARKET…I CAN GO ON AND ON…BUT U GET THE POINT…"THE BLACK VETERAN FOR REAL JUSTICE "….U NEED A WORLD WIDE LABOR MOVEMENT…THE BANKERS ARE WORLD WIDE….THIS IS CHESS…NOT CHECKERS….VOTE GREEN…WE ALSO NEED A 3RD LANE…FOR THE LABOR MOVEMENT….THAT WILL MOVE US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION….✌ PEACE…AND LOVE.
Awesome!!! True!!! Its about the American Dream. We can't loose it for our kids. Its bigger than you and its the future of all unions.
Hip and knee replacements after 20 years ? 🤔 I’ve been at UPS 27 years, and I climb mountains all over the world. I do count my blessings
I would say the beginning of the end started in the early 2000s. . . with Globalization=(LOW WAGE workers) , E-commerce, offshoring. . . . ALL by-products of 🇺🇸 Corporation GREED & PROFITS . . . I stand with UPS & don't even work for UPS
If they push it out to the end of the month, we can pull of a general strike as student loans are demanded back.
I’m at UPS in Bowling Green, KY. And listening to this on my one day off, Sunday, is actually kind of inspiring. I’m so glad to hear other people with the fighting spirit, ready to fight for the working class. As the strike in August looms over our heads, it’s almost disparaging not knowing if we’ll have a job in less than a month.
Thank you for this! â¤â¤â¤â¤â¤
UAW Members at UC San Diego are under attack by the UC admin. Stay tuned Monday July 10th for a Mass action rally at San Diego Superior courts at the UC members arraignment for frivolous felony vandalism and conspiracy charges over using chalk on side walk #UnionStrong #WeMustFightBack and mobilize
You need to do a serious expose on the 401k, Max.
I'm looking forward to coming out to a picket line in Baltimore with my guitar and singing solidarity forever, etc!
I'd just be happy with a reasonable work environment. It's atrocious where I work restrooms are filthy sinks are filled with dirty water because the drain isn't working, they're pushing the packages out of the trailers all crazy to the point the packages are falling all over the place. Unethical work place I will continue to get myself out of this company time to move on.
UPS,PART TIME, MCDONALDS, WALMART…THE NEW AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS..SHIT JOBS !!! WHAT A JOKE…
I hope them teamsters go down swinging! Nothing to loose! Working poor power!
Sad
30 ? A Stewart ? Your still a baby , I have 40?years union experience. They don’t want real experience
High pay ? Watch it o.- u mean fair pay😊
all asleep at the wheel
So dumb a** if you would work a few hours or days in the warehouse and then drive a few days that would save on your knees, You can get off early. But oh no, working in that warehouse is beneath you And there's a boss there watching you and you won't be able to mess off. So you're going to cry and demand not to have to work in the warehouse. He sounds like a spoiled Hypocrite.
Oh wow, you lose weight, you have to walk. I feel for you and making all that money. Try living on minimum wage and supporting a family. So you purposefully don't work fast so they don't give you more work. So sad you had to work during the pandemic while we couldn't and then there was no job to go back to! Oh, i can't play with my grandchildren. My aching knees. Ups will just pass the cost onto the customer. Just get another job and stop whining. That's why the immigrants will be taking your jobs. Those who Boycotted Budweiser just because they were offended and then pressured others to boycott or they would harass them for holding a Bud can caused hundreds to lose their jobs. Now they're closing warehouses. Hope those drivers will take your job when you strike. Teamsters are just a mafia that blackmales companies. While you drivers get richer and causes pain and suffering for the poor. You sound like a poor little rich boy who has to get his hands dirty.
Wow.
'Divide & Conquer' was much more than just BLM. 🤔
Hell yeah they will!!! Strike strike strike!!!!!
Now if you guys strike you going to hurt Amazon, Fedex, DHL. we going to pick your loads. I was looking to celebrate my 50th birthday with a off day, Fedex lock out Aug due to the strike .
Talks alot of unrelated crap worthless waste of time to listen to
Been at UPS 15 years there is no progression system like there used to be you can't make 90 thousand plus dollars in 4 years any more this year will likely be my last year their is a whole wide world out there beside UPS I'm thinking positively the key to money is education and being able to do what most people can't
No, the strike will not happen because the Teamsters "leadership" are bought and owned by UPS
i worked for ups as a seasonal worker, a pvd driver. pay was okay, based on their profits they should pay more. management is non union and many part time employees and seasonal workers do not qualify for the health benefits. my hub only operated efficiently when there was one manager in particular who deserved more pay than any driver but being non union his pay is much lower than the drivers. ask any driver in my hub and they will all testify to that. when he was not around it was sh@t show.
Don't worry. You'll get your packages. UPS uses scabs.
Honestly I don't think politics should play a role when it comes to unions whether Republican or Democrat
Fact#1 Hoffa Jr. destroyed the Teamsters for 21 years. Fact#2 O'Brien and local 25 was with him the entire time.
Skip the first 5 minutes to start the podcast
GO TEAMSTERS GIVE EM A BIG NASTY FART IN THEIR WALLET!
This strike will be felt by us all. The Hollywood Writers strike is barely noticed.
✊ðŸ¼
I'm a ups driver (not 22.4) so I hope we get a pay raise but all this woe is me and life is to hard is just a bunch of bullshit. If you want to make more money get a better job. Don't pretend that an entry level job putting boxes in a truck deserves $20-$30 an hour. Sadly unions are democrats usually and they are the ones responsible for wrecking the economy lol.
I have never, in my life, heard more "uh…um…ya know" in such a short period of time. Good freaking lord.
I'm an amazon driver and getting paid peanuts compared to the UPS workers… busted my knee at the end of april. knee is busted and im doing PT trying to get it back in shape im dreading going back to work. amazon was hard climbing up flights of steps with heavy boxes and no cart. and then they get mad if the package doesnt get delivered. horrible job plus i get taxed out the butt so no matter how much OT i make with inflation the check goes fast… it's bullshit. i hate it. i might not even go back after this PT is over the doctor said surgery if my inner knee doesnt heal
Good info
A Different Vision of What Our Lives Should Be?
I’d like to hear about that vision.
In the 1980s they perpetuate this idea that their way of apologies wish ruined lots of workers in unions was the only way. This of course carried on into the 21st century
Teamsters already spend up your strike fund in the stock market.
Get Air conditioning in those delivery trucks, as without it the drivers are in danger during heatwaves and thus a danger to the public on the roads with them, UPS learn to treat your employees right.
I actually hired on with UPS many years ago. The first thing that did was give you a very good driver training course. I was impressed with that training. Then they went through their policies. If you had an accident, even if you were hit by a vehicle behind you, that was considered your fault, I started having doubts about working for them. The next policy, at regular intervals, they would have someone time you with a stop watch and the requirement was you had to stop, put your parking brake on, find the package and be out of the truck within 45 seconds. They were angry when I informed them, I wasn't going to take the job. I even told them I didn't want any pay from them for when I did the driver training, I just wasn't interested in working for a company that had their policies. Worked out great for me, got a job with a much better company, retired after 35 years of service.
Affordable housing, affordable College, the Middle Class was man made, not some fluke or accident.
I drive for Walmart…. There are good non union jobs out there, not many but they are out there…. Before I started at Walmart I worked at yellow for 15 years and couldn’t handle the mismanagement of that company, it was like the union couldn’t do anything about it. I make 110+k a year and they treat us like gold
a pity UPS is so unpopular with the lowest customer ratings globally