Experts say an Aug. 1 strike isn’t a certainty, but customers should still solidify alternative carrier options.

专家表示，8月1日的罢工并不确定，但客户仍应巩固替代运营商的选择。

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is escalating its rhetoric against UPS as the two sides attempt to reach a tentative labor agreement ahead of the expiration of their current five-year national contract on July 31. Economic terms like pay and benefits remain roadblocks in talks, and the Teamsters say they will strike Aug. 1 if a deal isn’t in place by then.

国际卡车司机兄弟会（International Brotherhood of Teamsters）正在升级其针对UPS的言论，因为双方试图在目前的五年国家合同于7月31日到期之前达成一项临时劳动协议。薪酬和福利等经济条款仍然是谈判中的障碍，卡车司机表示，如果届时不能达成协议，他们将于8月1日罢工。”

In recent interviews with Supply Chain Dive, logistics and labor experts said a strike still isn’t a certainty despite the union’s demands to speed up negotiations, but note the chances of one are increasing. Progress will depend on how willing negotiators are to adjust their current economic proposals.

在最近接受供应链部门采访时，物流和劳工专家表示，尽管工会要求加快谈判，但罢工仍不确定，但罢工的可能性正在增加。进展将取决于谈判人员调整当前经济提案的意愿。

If the standoff continues and results in a strike, U.S. supply chains will see significant disruptions. The current contract covers around 330,000 UPS employees, including delivery drivers and package handlers, helping the company deliver millions of packages every day.

如果僵局持续并导致罢工，美国供应链将受到严重干扰。目前的合同涵盖约33万名UPS员工，包括送货司机和包裹搬运工，帮助公司每天运送数百万个包裹。

The most vulnerable UPS shippers are those without alternative carriers in place to handle diverted packages, experts say. It gets even harder if they don’t have enough volume and financial muscle to compel other carriers to make extra room in their networks at the last minute.

专家表示，最脆弱的UPS托运人是那些没有替代承运人来处理被转移的包裹的人。如果他们没有足够的数量和财力来迫使其他运营商在最后一刻在他们的网络中腾出额外的空间，那就更难了。

“If I’m in a logistics professional’s shoes right now that’s sourced with UPS, I’m doing everything I can for the next couple of weeks to get something in place to ensure I’ve got a way to deliver packages to my customers,” Outman said.

Outman说：“如果我现在是一名物流专业人员，而且是由UPS采购的，那么在接下来的几周里，我会尽我所能做好准备，以确保我有办法把包裹送到我的客户手中。”

For other side, Rival FedEx didn't see any material benefit from the talks in May when anxious UPS customers could have shifted packages to other carriers, although it is having “great conversations with legacy UPS customers,” EVP and Chief Customer Officer Brie Carere said on a recent earnings call. But activity from UPS shippers diverting packages to other carriers will increase the closer the deadline gets without a deal in place, experts say.

另外一方面，执行副总裁兼首席客户官Brie Carere在最近的一次电话财报会议上表示，竞争对手联邦快递（FedEx）没有从5月份的谈判中看到任何实质性好处，当时焦虑的UPS客户可能已经将包裹转移到其他运营商，尽管它“正在与传统的UPS客户进行良好的对话”。但专家表示，在没有达成协议的情况下，最后期限越近，UPS托运人将包裹转移到其他承运人的活动就会增加。

Information extracted from SUPPLYCHAINDIVE NEWSLETTER AND WEBSITE

信息摘自SUPPLYCHAINDIVE通讯和网站