LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – The Teamsters Union has filed an emergency motion seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction against UPS, arguing that the company is pushing forward with what it calls an illegal buyout aimed at UPS Teamsters drivers.
The company plans to announce the Driver Choice Program later this week.
In court filings, the Teamsters state that UPS violated its National Master Agreement at least six times while rolling out the buyout program. The alleged violations include directly negotiating new contracts with workers and eliminating union jobs.
The lawsuit also claims that, under the contract, UPS agreed to create additional positions.
Since late January, the Teamsters have submitted more than 57 requests to UPS seeking information and documents about its revised driver buyout plans. According to the union, UPS CEO Carol Tomé and other corporate executives ignored those requests and appear to have developed the Driver Choice Program behind closed doors, in direct violation of the UPS Teamsters agreement.
WAVE News contacted UPS for comment. A company spokesperson released the following statement:
We are aware of the Teamsters’ response to the voluntary separation program we planned to offer our U.S. full-time drivers and are working to resolve the matter through the legal process. This does not affect our operations, and we will continue to provide the reliable service our customers expect from UPS.
The world is changing, and the rate of change is accelerating. As we navigate these changes and continue to reshape our network, our drivers appreciate having choices, including the option to make a career change or retire earlier than planned.
We engaged with the Teamsters on this topic in early January. We are disappointed the Teamsters have chosen to oppose a program that is entirely voluntary and would provide a great benefit to our employees, particularly as we continue to right-size our workforce.
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