Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) mobilized support for employees of the United Parcel Service (UPS) who are gearing up for a potential strike amid stalled contract talks.
The progressive congresswoman was joined by United Auto Workers president Shawn Fein and Teamsters union president Sean M. O'Brien to demand fair contracts from UPS as Teamsters Union are at an impasse over the new four-year contract.
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“This shouldn't even be a fight,” Ocasio-Cortez said Saturday. “UPS raked in $16 billion in profit last year and they're trying to say that we can't afford part-timers to pay them a living wage? I don't think so.”
If the working class doesn’t stand up for itself, no one else will.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 15, 2023
UPS has made record profits during the pandemic. That’s because of UPS workers, who are prepared to strike Aug 1st without a fair contract.
This morning we rallied in support w/ @TeamsterSOB & @UAW Shawn Fein???????? pic.twitter.com/U11ZqTxcZ3
Hundreds of thousands of UPS workers could go on strike, with 97% of workers voting in favor of strike authorization in June, which is expected to start on Aug. 1.
UPS has claimed Teamsters stepped away from negotiation talks over a new contract and pushed the union to return to the table, which the union countered by saying the shipping giant walked away from the bargaining table.
In an 2022 financial report, UPS reported an operating profit of $13.1 billion and the adjusted operating profit to $13.9 billion.
“However, we know that if it wasn't for you all standing up, that is always the nexus,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “If we don't stand up for ourselves – no one will stand up for us.”
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Ocasio-Cortez joined workers at the UPS hub in Maspeth, Queens last week for a practice picket event organized by the Teamsters, rallying for more raises to part-time workers than what UPS currently offers.
“Your courage is the essential ingredient to this,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Your solidarity is the essential ingredient to this. And what we're here to do is to make sure that we're able to go out and organize the rest of our communities, our constituencies and I can tell you that New York's 14th congressional district in the Bronx and Queens, everybody has your back in this.”