1997 UPS Teamsters Strike

The strike showed how dependent U.S. businesses were on a single parcel carrier, and it pushed many shippers to diversify. For two weeks shippers scrambled for space with USPS, FedEx and regional carriers that could not absorb all of UPS's volume. The union won wage increases and a commitment to create full-time jobs from part-time positions, and the strike cost UPS about $600 million. Its lesson still applies: brands keep a second carrier account, use multi-carrier shipping software and watch UPS labor contract deadlines, as many did ahead of the 2023 negotiations.

• Multi-Carrier Shipping SoftwareOne tool for labels from many carriers
• Regional CarrierParcel carrier that serves one region
• Rate ShoppingPicking the cheapest carrier for each package

• Jim Casey1888–1983 · Founder of UPS

• Founding of UPS1907 · A Seattle messenger company starts with $100
• UPS Coverage of All 48 Contiguous States1975 · UPS can deliver to every address in the lower 48
• Formation of FedEx Ground1998–2000 · FedEx buys Caliber and turns RPS into FedEx Ground

1. 1997 United Parcel Service strike (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org
2. The legacy of 15 days in August (DC Velocity) dcvelocity.com