United Parcel Service

Shipping company Yellow could lose Walmart, further worsening US shipping woes

Walmart has reportedly stopped using Yellow as the shipping company stares down bankruptcy and a major strike by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Craig Fuller of FreightWaves tweeted that Walmart was one of Yellow’s largest customers, meaning their exit will cost the company dearly. The implosion of Yellow could magnify the impact of any potential IBT strike against UPS, which alone could have ground the US economy to a halt. Yellow had received a $700 million federal loan during the Covid pandemic, but has run into challenges paying it back, and the New York Times reports that the company had $1.5 billion in debt in March 2023.

Teamsters
ups teamsters

Could the Teamsters’ fight with UPS shut down America?

A pugnacious union president is setting up a little-noticed showdown with United Parcel Service (UPS), in what would be the largest labor strike in American history, potentially complicating President Joe Biden’s rollout of “Bidenomics.” At issue is mainly wage increases for part-time Teamsters, who earn roughly $20 an hour; Teamsters want that increased by around 30 percent. Earlier this month, both sides made significant progress on core issues like ending forced overtime on drivers’ days off and establishing Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday.  However, talks soured earlier this month and both sides are barreling towards the July 31 deadline; if no deal is reached by the end of the month, the Teamsters will fully strike.