Teamsters president warns 330,000 UPS workers could strike when contract expires in 2028
Boiling Points · Friday, 11 September 2026
Why it matters
This is an early warning of a potentially high-impact US labor action rather than an imminent walkout: the affected workforce handles more than 16 million packages per day, while UPS serves about 1.5 million business customers. The long lead time gives a concrete marker for tracking whether rhetoric becomes strike votes, contract demands and preparation for a costly stoppage.
What happened
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said the union is preparing for a strike by UPS’s 330,000 unionized drivers and warehouse workers if the company does not meet demands in negotiations for a contract due to expire on July 31, 2028. The union’s stated grievances include possible rollbacks to health and pension benefits, automation and autonomous trucks, outsourcing to non-union subsidiaries, and a demand that regional units be allowed to strike mid-contract over unresolved grievances. The Teamsters plan to formally launch the next contract campaign in fall 2027; UPS said the current agreement remains in force and pointed to industry-leading pay, benefits and annual increases.
Previously
Aug 2023 — UPS drivers and warehouse workers represented by the Teamsters ratified a five-year contract that the union valued at $30 billion, including wage increases, improved part-time pay and the elimination of a two-tier driver wage system.(FreightWaves)
Players & places
- United States
- Teamsters
- United Parcel Service
- Sean O’Brien