Teamster Vote Results to Be Announced Today

The results of a Teamster vote whether to strike if contract negotiations fail with United Parcel Service Inc. will be announced today.

A two-week strike by 185,000 Teamsters in 1997 cost the company millions of dollars, crippling the Atlanta-based package delivery giant. The five-year contract that was reached expires July 31.

Union members voted by secret ballot over the weekend at every Teamsters UPS local in the country.

“For a company that says it wants an early agreement, negotiations sure are moving slowly,” Teamsters President James P. Hoffa said. “It is time to jump-start negotiations. It is time to get down to business.” UPS spokesman Norman Black said the company “is committed to reaching an agreement as soon as practical to protect UPS volume, preserve Teamster jobs and allow UPS to provide the reliable service its customers expect.”

Negotiations resume this week in Chicago.