UPS

Union UPS workers overwhelmingly voted to approve the latest contract negotiated by the Teamsters union.

The Teamsters union and UPS announced a tentative national agreement with less than a week left before a potential strike. A dispute over part-time pay was the last thing holding up negotiations. After a tense few weeks, the tentative agreement announced Tuesday guarantees part-timers $21 an hour removing the threat of an economy-devastating strike that union UPS workers hoped to avoid as much as business and political leaders.

The United Parcel Service and Teamsters union announced Tuesday that negotiators struck a new five-year deal affecting about 340,000 full- and part-time workers, including at least 12,000 Louisville-area employees.

The Teamsters Union and UPS have come to tentative agreements on many parts of an extensive contract. But negotiations broke down last month over a part-time pay proposal the union said was offensive. Workers at a practice picket line outside an Indianapolis UPS hub say they are ready to strike as both sides prepare to resume negotiations.

There are less than two months left for the international Teamsters union and UPS to negotiate new contracts for workers as current agreements expire. With the possibility of a strike looming, a group of union workers from UPS facilities across Indiana and neighboring states gathered in Indianapolis to discuss the work that lies ahead.