2028 UPS Teamsters negotiation prep guide

Know your current contract cold

• Learn your wages and progression — Find your exact top rate and where you sit on the wage progression for your classification. That number is your baseline for judging any 2028 proposal — ask TeamstersGPT with your supplement selected to get the cited rate that applies to you.
• Read the National Master and your supplement — The negotiations reopen the current language article by article, so knowing what's there today is the foundation for everything else. Look up anything you're unsure about and get the exact article, section, and page.

Keep enforcing your rights

• Keep filing grievances — Your grievance, seniority, and overtime rights stay in full force right up to and through bargaining. Don't wait — keep enforcing the contract, since a strong record strengthens the union's hand at the table.
• Know your seniority and overtime protections — Understand how seniority, bidding, the daily guarantee, and the 9.5 list work in your building so you can tell whether a 2028 proposal strengthens or weakens what you already have.

Understand what's up for renewal

• Wages, COLA, and benefits — General wage increases, the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), and health-and-pension contributions are some of the most-watched territory heading into 2028.
• Combination jobs and part-time progression — Article 22 combination jobs (22.3 and 22.4) and the part-time pay-and-progression ladder are perennial flashpoints up for renewal.
• Safety and heat protections — Article 18 safety language and heat protections built on recent wins are back on the table for the next contract.

Get involved

• Show up and speak up — Attend your local union meetings, talk with your steward about the issues in your building, and make your priorities known. The members who understand today's contract are the ones who shape what 2028 changes.

What are my current wages under the UPS Teamsters contract?

Your wage rate depends on your classification (package car driver, feeder, 22.3, 22.4, part-time inside, air, preload, etc.), your years of service, and your supplement. The National Master sets the general wage increases and the top rate; your supplement and progression schedule fill in where you land along the way. Ask TeamstersGPT with your supplement selected to get the exact article, section, and current rate that applies to you — that number is your starting point for evaluating any 2028 proposal.

When does the current National Master Agreement expire and what's up for renewal in 2028?

The current UPS National Master Agreement runs through 2028. Everything in it — general wage increases, COLA, the 22.4 and 22.3 combination-job language, part-time progression, health and pension contributions, safety and heat protections, and the grievance procedure — is what the parties will reopen. Knowing the current language article by article is the best preparation, because negotiations start from the existing contract, not a blank page.

How do I file a grievance about a contract violation before the new deal?

The current grievance procedure stays in full force right up to and through bargaining, so don't wait. Note the date and details, tell your steward promptly, and file within your supplement's filing window — these windows are short (often a handful of working days), and a missed deadline can sink an otherwise valid grievance. TeamstersGPT can pull the exact filing timeline and steps from your supplement so you file on time.

What do the current general wage increases and COLA say?

General wage increases (GWI) are the across-the-board raises written into the National Master, and the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) language ties additional increases to inflation. These are the baseline 2028 bargaining builds on. Ask TeamstersGPT for the current GWI schedule and COLA formula and when each raise takes effect, with the article cited.

How does seniority and job bidding work right now?

Seniority governs bidding on routes and jobs, vacation selection, layoff and recall order, and your daily guarantee. The rules live in the seniority articles of the National Master and your supplement. Understanding how seniority is applied in your building today helps you spot whether any 2028 proposal strengthens or weakens it. TeamstersGPT returns the exact seniority language for the documents you select.

What overtime protections do I have today, including the 9.5 list?

Most package-car and feeder employees are paid time-and-a-half after 8 hours per day, with the 9.5 list giving drivers a way to limit being worked more than 9.5 hours on too many days in a week. Forced-overtime and sixth-day protections vary by supplement. Knowing your current overtime rights is essential before negotiations, since workload and overtime are recurring bargaining issues. Ask TeamstersGPT for the cited language.

What are my current health and pension benefits?

Health coverage is typically through TeamCare or a regional fund, and pension contributions are set in the National Master and supplements. The contribution rates, eligibility, and waiting periods are all spelled out in the agreement and are heavily watched in every negotiation. Ask TeamstersGPT with your supplement selected for the exact health-and-welfare and pension language that applies to you.

What part-time progression rules apply now?

Part-time starting pay, the progression schedule, inside seniority, and the path to a full-time job are defined in the National Master and supplements. Part-time pay and full-time conversion have been central to recent negotiations, so part-timers should know exactly where they stand. TeamstersGPT cites the current part-time progression and conversion language for your documents.

What does the contract say about supervisors working?

The National Master limits when supervisors may perform bargaining-unit work and provides remedies when they do — this language directly protects your jobs and hours. Document violations and grieve them under the current contract. Ask TeamstersGPT for the supervisors-working article and the remedies available so you can enforce it before and during 2028 bargaining.

How can I prepare for the 2028 negotiations as a member?

Read your current National Master and supplement, attend your local union meetings, talk with your steward about the issues in your building, and keep enforcing the contract through grievances. Use TeamstersGPT to look up any provision and get the exact citation so you can speak to specifics. The members who understand today's contract are the ones who can meaningfully weigh in on what 2028 should change.