By Sarina Trangle
UPS ended its standoff with Maspeth workers after a 10-hour negotiation session April 9.
Teamsters Local 804 announced on its website that United Parcel Service agreed to abandon plans to fire all 250 drivers who walked off the job, at 46-05 56th Road, in late February.
The 90-minute protest was staged to support an employee who the union said was fired without a hearing he was contractually entitled to.
UPS responded by issuing termination notices. It fired 35 employees and had planned to gradually let the rest of the 250 protesters go as it trained replacements.
But the company and union hashed out an agreement April 9 under which the 250 employees would serve 10-day suspensions without pay and UPS would recoup monetary damages related to the walkout from Local 804.
“Local 804 officials acknowledged that the Feb. 26 walkout was illegal and unauthorized,” UPS spokesman Steve Gaut said in an e-mail.
About a week before the settlement, city and state lawmakers called for government agencies to review their contracts with UPS.
“It was that support that saved the jobs,” Local 804 noted on its website.
Reach reporter Sarina Trangle at 718-260-4546 or by e-mail at strangle@cnglocal.com.
