Economics professor says UPS deal 'not a surprise'

United Parcel Service trucks are seen parked at a distribution facility, Friday, June 30, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

When WABE’s Jim Burress spoke to Emory’s Goizueta Business School economics professor Tom Smith about the possibility of a UPS strike looming, Smith predicted the two sides would reach an amicable settlement.

He says UPS unionized workers and management share a symbiotic relationship where each depends on the other to function, so reaching an agreement was always in their best interest.

UPS announced today that the company has reached a 5-year contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters for the more than 340,000 UPS workers they represent.