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Jul. 22—The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce is backing a move to encourage President Joe Biden to use his authority to avert a potential strike against United Parcel Service by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
"We sent a letter to the president, asking him to intervene and bring about a negotiated settlement," said Robert S. Carl Jr., chamber president and CEO.
If an agreement is not reached by the end of the month, Teamsters officials have threatened to pull an estimated 340,000 workers off the job, creating one of the largest strikes in U.S. history.
The appeal to the Biden administration, backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, claims UPS moves 20 million packages a day worth an estimated $3.8 billion.
"A Teamsters strike against UPS could be the costliest in at least a century," the chamber letter alleges, "with significant harm to small businesses and online retailers."
A strike could lead to months-long backlogs in the supply chain and interruption of deliveries of critical medical supplies and other essential items.
UPS has a depot in Saint Clair Industrial Park and a UPS Customer Center in Hometown.
Published reports say Teamster delivery and logistics workers are seeking a 5-year agreement with pay increases, an increase in the number of full-time positions and a limit on excessive overtime.
Temperature control in delivery vans has also been cited as an issue in negotiations. Time Magazine recently profiled extreme measures taken by a UPS driver in Georgia to deal with triple-digit temperatures.
Small business suffers
Many of the Schuylkill Chamber's 826 members, Carl said, are small businesses who rely on UPS to send and receive products.
Clarissa Christ, owner of Rage Parade Skate Shop in Pottsville, said she gets shipments from UPS at least once a week.
"We get roller skates, skateboards and clothing through UPS," said Christ, whose store is at 19 S. Centre St., Pottsville.
Should a strike continue for any length of time, Christ said, the store would have to find another carrier.
The County of Schuylkill is heavily dependent on UPS, too.
Gary R. Bender, county administrator, said the Reading company that processes the county's USPS mail has offered to help in the event of a strike.
Mailroom Systems, Bender said, can transport packages up to 70 pounds. More than likely, he said, they would be delivered through the U.S. Postal Service.
The commissioner's office, Bender said, has a FedEx account. Other county departments, however, rely on UPS.
Analysts at Ohio State University have suggested the public can expect longer wait times for deliveries as UPS customers look to FedEx and USPS for service.