Teamsters vote to strike if contract negotiations fail with UPS

WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Teamsters have voted overwhelmingly to strike if contract negotiations fail with United Parcel Service Inc. <br><br>Preliminary results show 93 percent of the Teamsters who work for

Monday, May 20th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Teamsters have voted overwhelmingly to strike if contract negotiations fail with United Parcel Service Inc.

Preliminary results show 93 percent of the Teamsters who work for UPS and voted during the weekend support a walkout if an agreement is not reached, said union spokesman Bret Caldwell. About 75 percent of the precincts were reporting Monday.

``This strike authorization shows the company that Teamsters members stand behind their negotiating committee and that we are working toward getting a strong fair contract,'' Caldwell said.

The current five-year contract expires July 31. Final results are expected in about a week.

UPS has cautioned that the vote is a normal part of the negotiating process and should not be taken as a barometer of the progress. Talks are continuing this week in Chicago.

A two-week strike by 185,000 Teamsters in 1997 cost the company millions of dollars, crippling the Atlanta-based package delivery giant.