UPS Freight announced Sunday that its roughly 12,000 drivers, who are represented by the Teamsters Union, voted to ratify a five-year labor agreement offered by the company Oct. 25. UPS Freight is the company’s less-than-truckload division.
The election warded off a potential drivers strike that prompted the company to try to clear its network of freight late last week had the agreement not been ratified. The Teamsters threatened to begin a work stoppage if UPS Freight drivers voted against the deal.
The final vote was 6,935 in favor and 2,067 opposed, the union said on its website, with 84 percent of eligible members voting.
The company’s parcel delivery segment, which employs roughly a quarter-million drivers, had already reached a bargaining deal with the union.
UPS Freight says the deal “rewards our employees with excellent wages and benefits an compensates them for their contributions to the success of the company.”