Teamsters Local 2727 -- UPS Aircraft Mechanics To President Trump: "Stand With Workers Over Corporate Greed"

LOUISVILLE, Ky., April 18, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- UPS aircraft mechanics and related classifications, who maintain the company's massive air cargo fleet, are appealing directly to President Trump in a new letter alerting him to UPS executives' refusal to invest their tax savings in employees and asking him, "Is there anything you can do, Mr. President, to help working people like us out and tell CEO David Abney to do the right thing?"

Mechanics, who have been organizing and gathering signatures of support for the letter, are in Washington, D.C. to hand-deliver it to the president and their members of Congress Wednesday. In Louisville, dozens of mechanics are protesting outside of Sen. Mitch McConnell's home after he refused to help workers, many of whom are his constituents, secure the financial relief promised by UPS.  

In the letter, UPS aircraft maintenance employees tell President Trump they have been without a raise for over four years, while UPS executives gave "themselves up to 251% raises." They go on to note that UPS CEO David Abney campaigned for tax reform under the pretext of using the money saved to invest in workers but has yet to act on his promise. See the full letter and signatures by UPS aircraft mechanics and supporters here: https://goo.gl/ae5h2s.

"Mechanics and their families trusted UPS to follow through with its promises of investing in its workers, but instead it has continued to pressure us to take pay cuts and reduced benefits," said Teamsters Local 2727 President Tim Boyle. "Our members will no longer tolerate these broken promises and will be going directly to President Trump for his support to ensure UPS finally does right by the hardworking men and women who keep the company's planes flying."

Dozens of the mechanics and their families will also protest outside of Sen. McConnell's Louisville home today to remind him of his duty to his constituents living and working in Kentucky. In late 2017, UPS mechanics sent a letter to McConnell asking for his help to get workers the relief promised to them by UPS. The mechanics, many of whom live and work in Louisville, requested an in-person meeting to discuss the issue and work together toward a solution. McConnell ignored the request. At the protest, mechanics and their families will hold signs reading "Senator McConnell, Don't Be A Lapdog! You Work for Us, Not UPS!" and urge the senator to meet with them.

"UPS aircraft mechanics are disappointed in Sen. McConnell for not standing on our side when we need him most," said Doug Davis who is based in Louisville, Ky., and has been with UPS for 17 years. "We're rallying today to tell Sen. McConnell to stop being UPS's lapdog and remind him of his responsibility to his constituents. He should know that UPS aircraft mechanics are ready to do whatever it takes to hold him and UPS accountable for their actions."

UPS mechanics are stationed at more than 90 airports across the country and work around the clock to maintain the company's cargo aircraft. UPS closed out 2017 with full-year profits that surged to $4.9 billion, again exceeding earnings estimates and making billions in revenues due in part to the back-breaking work of its aircraft mechanics.

The workers do physically demanding and often dangerous work around jet engine aircraft and equipment and toxic chemicals and exhaust. Despite continued growth, UPS continues to call for massive reductions in health benefits for the 1,300 workers. Workers have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike should it become necessary and recently renewed their request with the federal National Mediation Board (NMB) to be released from mediated contract negotiations with UPS.

Contact:                                            
Denise Luu, (310) 905-3193
[email protected] 

SOURCE Teamsters Local 2727