SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Unionized UPS workers in South Portland gathered Wednesday morning for what they called a "job action."
The president of the union Teamsters Local 340, Brett Miller, said workers gathered right before work in an effort to bring back one of their colleagues who got fired.
After accomplishing that, Miller shared that contract negotiations are underway between UPS and the union.
Some things the UPS workers are looking for include more equality between full- and part-time employees, consistency with lunch breaks, and addressing a six-day work week, which some say they did not sign up for.
"The members that were out here today are tired of working six days a week, 50, 55, 60 hours a week for an extended period of time," Miller said. "Some of them have been working six days a week. It's not what the contract was intended for. It's been manipulated by the company to enhance their workforce. They need to hire more people. There is no doubt about it. They need to hire more people. They need to have more of a balance for their workers."
NEWS CENTER Maine asked UPS about those claims and where their negotiation stands.
A UPS spokesperson said the contract from 2018 calls for working a sixth day when needed. However, no one could have anticipated the change in demand for deliveries since then.
According to their negotiations website, UPS and the union are making progress on non-economic items, and those conversations will continue in the coming weeks.