Episode 6: Let the Negotiations Begin! | The Upsurge

<br />Read the transcript of this podcast: <a href="https://therealnews.com/?p=297561" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://therealnews.com</a><br /><br />Negotiations on the national labor contract at UPS have begun. And while CEO Carol Tomé has insisted that the company and the union are "not far apart on the issues," their behavior at the bargaining table suggests otherwise. In bargaining sessions for regional contracts across the country, UPS is sometimes just not showing up, they're demanding concessions from the union, and they're playing dirty to get what they want — a workforce that looks more like the mostly non-union Amazon, FedEx, or Uber. That's why the Teamsters have taken negotiations outside the bargaining room and into the workplace, with rallies, parking lot meetings, and action trainings. Meanwhile, workers say UPS is fighting back with layoffs and other forms of intimidation. In this episode, we bring you inside and outside of the bargaining room. On the inside, we speak with two of the most militant Teamster principal officers in the union, Richard Hooker Jr. and Vinnie Perrone. On the outside, you'll hear from Teamsters general president Sean O'Brien, as well as from rank and filers at rallies in Massachusetts, California, Rhode Island, and New York. The clock is ticking to August 1.<br /><br /> Hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/TeddyOstrow" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Teddy Ostrow</a><br />Edited by Teddy Ostrow<br />Produced by NYGP &amp; Ruby Walsh, in partnership with <a href="https://inthesetimes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">In These Times</a> &amp; <a href="https://therealnews.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Real News Network</a> Music by <a href="https://caseygallagher.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Casey Gallagher</a> Cover art by <a href="https://www.imanclaro.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Devlin Claro Resetar</a><br />Support the show at <a href="https://www.patreon.co