How the Teamsters Cost 30,000 People Their Jobs
Progressives love unions.
Not only do unions protect workers, they say, unions gave us the weekend and the middle class.
I say, capitalism created the middle class. Employers, competing for better workers, gave us the weekend.
But whatever you think about capitalism, few people question the claim that unions help workers.
But I will. It’s the focus of my new video.
A couple years ago, the Teamsters demanded more pay from UPS. It seemed like UPS could easily afford it. The company made almost $13 billion in 2021.
UPS used some of that money to hire more union workers. Then it offered them raises.
But Teamster boss Sean O’Brien wanted more. He threatened a strike.
UPS gave in.
MSNBC called that “collective bargaining at its finest”!
Today, full-time drivers make $170,000 a year.
Good for them—for those who still have jobs.
But paying for the new Teamster contract meant UPS wasn’t as competitive as before. It raised some prices and lost business to other shippers.
Profit dropped.
In 2024, UPS laid off 12,000 workers. The next year, 20,000.
It wasn’t just the wage hikes; it’s also the work rules.
The Teamsters agreement incl
Article from Reason.com
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