CHICAGO, Aug. 1 (Bloomberg News) — United Parcel Service has reached a tentative agreement with one of two Chicago-area Teamsters locals not covered by last month's national contract accord.þþThe agreement, reached on Wednesday, covers about 13,000 U.P.S. workers at Teamsters Local 705. U.P.S., the biggest employer of Teamsters, is still negotiating with Local 710, which represents an additional 7,000 union members. þþThe Local 705 agreement is similar to the tentative national contract reached on July 15; that pact would raise pay 22 percent over six years and create 20,000 more union jobs. Union members must vote on the local and national accords. The two sides avoid a repeat of the 15-day strike in 1997, which snarled shipments and cost U.P.S., based in Atlanta, $750 million in revenue. þþThe local's tentative agreement includes 1,000 new Teamster jobs, with at least 450 full-time positions for the promotion of part-time workers, increased health care coverage for workers and retirees, and improved layoff provisions, the union said. þþU.P.S. employs about 230,000 Teamsters, including 210,000 covered by the national contract. The two Chicago locals are the only Teamsters units that have separate contracts with U.P.S. They opted for the separate negotiations several years ago. þ
Source: NY Times
