UPS just made its biggest acquisition ever, buying TNT Express for $6.8 billion. With contract negotiations on the way, the UPS-TNT deal makes it more important for the Teamsters to coordinate with unions on a global scale.
UPS gets the bulk of its revenue and profits in the U.S. where our Teamsters Union represents 240,000 UPS workers.
But the purchase of TNT shifts the equation. UPS currently gets 74% of its revenue from the U.S. market. That will dip to 64% after TNT, the fourth-largest express carrier in the world, is integrated into the UPS network.
What this change will mean for UPS Teamsters depends, in part, on how effectively the IBT coordinates with other unions.
Fortunately, TNT, which is based in Europe, has a unionized workforce that is used to international solidarity.
The Teamsters Union can lead the way, and build a powerful global network of solidarity for the future.
We will have more leverage to win the contract we deserve if we’re coordinating bargaining strategy, rallies and job actions with UPS and TNT workers in Europe and around the world.
