UPS deliveries were disrupted for a few days as a result of the Wellesley Organized Academic Workers’ (WOAW-UAW) strike, while other deliveries to the College will remain normal.
UPS, which unionized under the Teamsters Union, has the contractual right to refuse to cross a picket line, according to the UPS National Master Agreement Article 9.
Students received notices from the UPS shipping email last week saying that “unfortunately, a labor strike (unrelated to UPS) has prevented delivery of your package. Your delivery has been rescheduled for the next business day.”
While UPS declines to cross the picket line, College staff are transporting packages from a UPS distribution center to campus, according to the College. With this new transporting system, it is uncertain whether packages will continue to be delayed and whether UPS will halt services to the College for the entire duration of the strike.
The News could not reach the mailroom for a comment.
Deliveries to the College
On March 29, WOAW posted an X statement that “the College moved their deliveries to avoid our picket line and have worked with management companies driven by Teamsters to ensure managers drive their trucks and cross our picket lines.” They criticized the College for “rather coordinat[ing] with companies like Sysco than bargain[ing] with us.”
In a statement, WOAW member and Lecturer in Political Science, Paul Martorelli recalled how delivery trucks were able to cross the picket line. While outside his apartment by the College early in the morning last Saturday, he witnessed a delivery driver, belonging to the Teamsters union leave his truck and switch vehicles with a driver in a van. When Martorelli questioned the van driver, he said the delivery driver could not make the delivery because of “union stuff.”
Many truck drivers are part of unions that have a clause in their contract preventing members from crossing picket lines. However, managers do not have this limitation.
“When they’re aware of an active picket line, managers will often demand to drive the union member’s truck; so, the truck can cross the picket line,” Martorelli wrote.
According to Martorelli, he deduced that the College notified its vendors that a strike was taking place and that they coordinated with management to cross the picket line.
“Once again, the College showed that it’s less concerned about ending the strike with a fair contact than it is with breaking the strike through any means possible,” Martorelli wrote.
In a statement from Piper Orton, vice president for finance and administration and treasurer, she wrote how while they respect the union’s right to picket, they “have a responsibility to ensure that the picketing does not hinder our ability to provide food and essential other products and services to our students.”
“Some delivery companies may choose not to cross the union’s picket line, which is their right. The College will continue to take steps to ensure that Wellesley can maintain critical functions, like feeding our students and maintaining faculty and student research,” Orton wrote.
Contact the editors responsible for this article: Sazma Sarwar and Valida Pau.
