(NewsNation) — UPS workers voted to ratify a Teamsters-negotiated deal nearly one month after it was reached.
“The five-year contract protects and rewards more than 340,000 UPS Teamsters nationwide, raising wages for full- and part-time workers, creating more full-time jobs, and securing important workplace protections, including air conditioning,” Teamsters said in a statement.
Over 86% of UPS union members voted in favor of the five-year contract, officially removing the threat of a strike, the union said.
The deal was tentatively reached on July 25, just one week before the union had been set to go on strike. Experts predicted a strike could have led to pandemic-era supply chain issues, impacting up to 30% of packages shipped in the U.S.
The ratification of the contract after four weeks of voting marks a major victory in the labor movement
“This contract will improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of workers,” Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said in a statement Tuesday. “Teamsters have set a new standard and raised the bar for pay, benefits, and working conditions in the package delivery industry. This is the template for how workers should be paid and protected nationwide, and nonunion companies like Amazon better pay attention.”