Mediator Rejects Pilots' Release from UPS Contract Talks

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he National Mediation Board Wednesday rejected a request from the Independent Pilots Association to be released from mediated contract talks with UPS Inc.

The NMB had declared an indefinite recess in the talks on Friday. (Click here for previous coverage.)

UPS spokeswoman Patti Hobbs said the carrier “continues to believe this contract will be resolved without any disruptions or inconvenience to our customers.”

IPA spokesman Eric Cooper told Transport Topics the union “is unhappy with the NMB decision. Relations between the union and UPS remain contentious and there is a high degree of animosity.”

Cooper said IPA, which represents about 2,700 UPS pilots, could have struck following a 30-day cooling off period had the NMB released it from talks.

IPA’s chief negotiator on the talks, Jim Magner, said compensation, retirement benefits and job outsourcing remain the largest unresolved issues.

UPS is ranked No. 1 on the Transport Topics 100 listing of the largest U.S. and Canadian for-hire trucking companies.