Some 185,000 workers of the United Parcel Service of America, Inc, better known as UPS, are on strike throughout the United States, where most industrial walk-outs, like politics, are local.
The 1.4 million-strong Teamsters Union went on strike on August 4th.
For a variety of reasons, 55 per cent of Americans agree with the Teamsters while 25 per cent disagree. This is also unusual, because unions and strikes are not popular here in the post-yuppie era.
The Teamsters Union is the largest, most powerful and most militant in the US.
UPS concedes that "an overwhelming number" of its employees are on strike. It hopes it can provide much of its previous service with 75,000 non-union workers, managers and even some Teamsters who, it claims, are crossing their own picket lines. But not many of them are doing it.
UPS air pilots are supporting the Teamsters. They may ground their planes if they don't get a contract later this autumn. A pilot told CNN the UPS attitude is: "No compromise, no give and take, push people over the cliff."
Competitors of UPS, which controls 80 per cent of the parcels business, are delighted with the strike. "It's a very competitive business," a spokesman said.
Ron Carey, the Teamsters president, says the strike is about jobs. Wages are low for most members, he claims. Part-timers make up 57 per cent of UPS workers. "And mostly they stay that way," Carey adds.
The company says 13,000 part-timers became full-time in the past few years. There are tens of thousands of part-time employees, although many work as much as 35 hours a week. This brings them close to the full-time weekly work rate, but they lag far behind in wages.
"America wants to move people from welfare [to fulltime jobs]," says Carey, "but UPS is doing the opposite."
UPS says it offers a better pension fund than the Teamsters, which may be true. The union says UPS wants to take over pension fund assets to use for its own purposes.
Carey has his own problems. He opposed Mafia interest in and influence over the Teamsters Union for 20 years. He led a rank-and-file movement to toss out the crooks. His life was threatened but, himself a UPS driver, he finally won.
A legendary Teamster president, Jimmy Hoffa, was jailed for his links to the Mafia, which was using local union pension funds for its own purposes. One day after his release in July 1975, while campaigning to regain leadership of the Teamsters, Hoffa disappeared. Insiders say the Mafia killed him.
Hoffa's son, also named James, a Detroit lawyer, ran against Carey for leadership of the union last year. Carey won narrowly.
To build a war chest he raised a lot of money, some of which is viewed in a dubious light. A grand jury is investigating. One of his associates has been indicted and a second has resigned. A new election may be ordered.
UPS executives suggest that Carey's real purpose in calling this strike is to divert attention from the alleged illegal contribution of $100,000 of union money to his re-election campaign. Whatever the reason, Hoffa junior wants the election declared void.
Although the strike is hurting the economy, President Clinton says he will not intervene. His Labour Secretary, Alexis Herman, is holding informal discussions with union and UPS leaders, urging the company and the union to find common ground.
Said UPS chairman James P. Kelly: "If these informal discussions lead us to believe the negotiations could be concluded at some point in time, then our last best final offer would cease to exist."
A Teamster victory would provide a much-needed boost for trade unionism in America, which is not in good shape.