Local Workers Happy With Action, Result
After enduring weeks of uncertainty and grueling heat on the picket lines, United Parcel Service workers at hubs here and in Sylmar voiced no regrets Tuesday over their decision to strike, describing the agreement reached Monday by their employer and Teamsters leaders as a “clear-cut victory” for them.
“It was all worth what we had to do, which was walking out,” said Jeff Witherill, a strike captain at the Van Nuys hub. “The company wasn’t bargaining in good faith.”
Customers of the nation’s largest shipping company, meanwhile, breathed a collective sigh of relief at the prospect of returning to business as usual.
“We’re very glad it’s over with,” said David Batt, chief financial officer of Taitron Components Inc., a Santa Clarita-based distributor of semiconductors. “We were disappointed that they went on strike in the first place.”
Local UPS officials said they were gearing up facilities in Sylmar, Van Nuys, Westlake and Lancaster for the return of their employees, who said they were told by union officials to expect to be back on the job today or Thursday.
Those who returned to the line Tuesday appeared jubilant that they might soon be getting back to work and collecting paychecks again. Many workers admitted that they had begun to feel the pinch from lost wages and feared that the strike could drag on.
“You eat in and watch your money, but eventually it runs out,” said Dave Mitchell, who is married with three teenage children. “I was supposed to start a new job today painting road stripes in Modesto.”
In Van Nuys on Tuesday, two dozen employees and family members showed up at the UPS hub on Woodley Avenue waving signs and hanging banners that read, “Thanks For Your Support” and “Thank You We Did It.” Their appearance was greeted by enthusiastic motorists who honked at the sunbaked picketers, triggering seemingly endless rounds of cheers.
“I think it was all worth it,” said Omer Murray, a 55-year-old UPS feeder driver. “One of the things I like to think the strike was about was giving some dignity to the part-time workers. You just can’t believe how hard they work.”
The tentative agreement would provide raises for both full-time workers and part-timers, create 10,000 full-time jobs and retain union control of pension plans, which would also get a boost in benefits--a key issue for many full-time employees. Most workers agreed that UPS management faces a tough road ahead when it comes to winning back their trust, even though many believe they benefited from the strike.
“There’s so much mistrust of management now, I don’t see how it could get any worse,” said Murray, who works out of the Van Nuys hub. “They need to change their ways.”
“We had a good working relationship between management and employees here,” said Tim Robinson, the ranking UPS official at the Sylmar hub. “The strike has caused some hurt feelings on both sides and I’m sure there will be some people with a chip on their shoulder. But we’re going to work it out.”
The two sides will have to work together to accomplish at least one goal in the near future: winning back customers. Many businesses lost thousands of dollars in revenue as a result of the strike.
Batt’s company, Taitron, uses UPS to ship 80% to 90% of its merchandise nationwide and took a big hit during the strike. Batt estimated that the strike cost the company $40,000 to $60,000 a day in lost revenue. He worries it may have cost them customers as well.
“A lot of customers got mad but didn’t understand that there wasn’t much we could do,” Batt said. “Only time will tell if we lost some of them for good to other suppliers.”
Nevertheless, Batt said he would continue to rely on UPS.
On any given day, about 250,000 packages move through the San Fernando hub in Sylmar. However, Robinson expects a marked drop-off in the first few weeks.
“There will probably be a 10% to 15% loss of business in the beginning,” he said. “That means there will be some layoffs, at least until business returns to normal.”
Robinson said that layoffs will be based on seniority and expects most to be part-time workers. But other UPS workers said the company will easily win back customers largely because of special relationships they have formed with their UPS drivers.
“As a UPS driver, you get a real bond with your customers,” said Scott Schreiner, who makes deliveries in Studio City. “A lot of my customers are really close to me.”
Times correspondent Julia Scheeres contributed to this story.
