UPS pilots belonging to the Independent Pilots Association (IPA) have voted have voted 2,252 to 8 to authorize a strike against the US package delivery group.
Just under 97% of members participated in the vote.
"UPS promises its customers on-time delivery, but after four years of labor negotiations, the company has failed to deliver a contract for its own pilots," said IPA President, Captain Robert Travis, said in a statement.
"In a clear voice, UPS pilots have said they are willing to strike if necessary to finish the job," he added.
The five-pilot IPA Executive Board now has the authority to formally request a release from federally mediated negotiations with UPS, and the discretion to conduct a strike once mediation is concluded.
Should the 2,500 UPS pilots go on strike, they will not be alone. International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President James Hoffa pledged the support of 250,000 UPS Teamster co-workers, the IPA's statement underlined.
In a letter to the pilots, Hoffa wrote, "…if a strike is necessary, we will not cross your lines, but will stand with you on them."
Captain Travis said his group welcomed the Teamsters' support. "The employees of UPS make our company strong and productive.
"Management is playing a risky game using 'stall and delay' tactics against its own people. Meanwhile, FedEx is delivering on-time," he underlined.
UPS arch-rival FedEx ratified a six-year contract with its pilots last week.
"Given that the pilots are the only major employee group at FedEx covered by a collective bargaining agreement, this deal brings labor peace to our main competitor," said Captain Travis.
UPS and IPA are scheduled to return to the bargaining table in early November with the federal mediator retaining the right to cancel scheduled sessions.
Last week, UPS announced that a tentative agreement with the Canada Council of Teamsters had been ratified.
This results in a new five-year agreement covering approximately 7,000 employees throughout Canada.
The provisions of the new five-year contract have an effective date of August 1, 2015 and will extend through July 31, 2020.
“This agreement is good for our people, our customers and our company,” said Michael Tierney, president of UPS Canada. “Its ratification shows the strong commitment on both sides to serving our customers. Now that the negotiation process is complete, we can continue to focus on doing what we do best: providing our customers with the excellent service they have come to expect from UPS.”
The new contract provides wage increases, enhancements to the pension plan as well as an increase in benefits.
