UPS workers and members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters met Thursday in Gainesville to hold a practice picket ahead of an upcoming contract negotiation deadline on July 31 at midnight.
Contract negotiations between UPS and the union representing nearly 340,000 workers broke down on July 5 with both sides placing the blame for walking away.
Drivers with UPS told AccessWDUN they allegedly work excessive hours, face corporate harassment and work in extreme heat.
The Teamsters have asked UPS to meet their demands of ending excessive overtime, giving part-time workers a livable wage and installing air conditioning units in trucks and facilities.
According to UPS, the Teamsters walked away from negotiations despite the company's proposals that build on "industry-leading pay benefits for our full-time and part-time employees."
UPS is the world's largest delivery company bringing in over $100 billion in revenue last year. According to the Teamsters, the company delivers an average of 24 million packages daily, and long wait times for deliveries are imminent if negotiations do not resume.
