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The UPS Strike: A Personal Story

Monday morning, August 4, 1997. It was strange driving in to the Foster Avenue Facility that morning. We were now on strike! In my 12 years at UPS, I had never experienced anything like this before; I didn’t know what to expect .

The company had just given its "last, best and final" bullshit offer and the Teamsters , with Ron Carey at the helm, said NO! And we walked!

As I approached the facility, I saw cops and lots of blue barricades lining the sidewalk. The lines had been drawn. There was Big Brown on one side and Teamster Blue on the other. But on that first day, there was much passion and anger: How dare they disrespect us with that offer- that’s how they truly think of us! It was a wake up call for a lot of complacent members.

Ron Carey was right. Yes , we deserved and demanded better, but we also were fighting against something bigger than UPS unfair labor practices. We were fighting a great national battle against "part-time America." Years earlier UPS was mostly full-time workers with some part-timers; now , in 1997, 60% of UPS’ workers were part-time. But we weren’t alone. This was an ominous trend in Corporate America; a trend that needed to end. It was the Teamsters who took a stand!

At first, we just stood outside the facility, yelling and chanting labor slogans: "We are the Union...the mighty, mighty Union!" Holding up signs and staring down management as they entered and exited the building. Until one day a very naive Fedex driver thought that he was going to deliver a package to our facility by crossing our picket line. Well...we allowed him to cross but leaving was another story. As he crossed our picket line to leave, words were spoken and before you know it, a fellow Teamster began pounding on this Fedex driver!

The police broke it up. They took the agitated Teamster away. Now we were energized. We began chanting: "Who’s next?!"

Our next tactic was following management who attempted to deliver whatever packages were left in the system. We harassed them every step of their day, carrying picket signs and educating customers about Brown’s unfair labor practices. We received tons of support out on the streets. One day even Al Sharpton showed up to show solidarity with us. Union members from other locals stopped by and dropped off food and drinks and some stayed with us for awhile and picketed .

After about 14 days, it was over! UPS backed down. Our resolve shook UPS. They didn’t think we would hold up so long and remain strong! But we held our ground: kept control over our pensions, got descent wage increases, etc as well as 10,000 new full-time jobs.

UPS is on the attack again! However, Ron Carey is not at the helm to lead us forward. It’s up to all of us , the rank-and-file to make sure UPS doesn’t screw us! Hoffa talked tough in 2002 and capitulated to UPS.... "Best Contract Ever". We haven’t forgotten!

So if Hoffa once again sells us out, in the spirit of Ron Carey and the legacy of the 1997 strike, we need to stand up, walk out and yell HELL NO !

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