Federal officials have rejected a bid by the Teamsters union to begin a 30-day countdown to a potential strike against UPS Inc. by its aircraft mechanics, the Associated Press reported.
UPS said in a statement that the National Mediation Board told the company of its decision Tuesday. The company’s airline division had asked the board Friday to declare the talks stalemated, AP reported.
“UPS is pleased that the NMB has denied the Teamsters’ request for a release from mediation because we believe the company and union can reach an agreement through ongoing negotiations,” UPS said.
“It is important to remember that our mechanics already have the best jobs in their industry and we are offering to enhance their position. We are ready to finalize a contract that rewards our employees while allowing us to remain competitive. We look forward to returning to the table,” the company said.
A Teamsters official told AP said the union was disheartened by the decision and said the union was prepared to return to the bargaining table later this year.
The union says it has bargained with UPS for more than four years without reaching a deal, AP reported.
If the NMB’s mediators had agreed that the talks were at a stalemate, they could have asked both sides to agree to binding arbitration, and if either side were to reject arbitration, it would have begun a 30-day countdown until the union could legally strike.
UPS is ranked No. 1 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of U.S. and Canadian for-hire carriers.
