UPS is under fire from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters after reports emerged of a planned Driver Voluntary Severance Plan (DVSP) that the union says would illegally bypass the terms of their national contract. The plan would offer cash buyouts to full-time drivers in exchange for early retirement or resignation—something Teamsters leadership is calling a direct breach of the agreement ratified in 2023.

Teamsters President Sean O’Brien didn’t hold back, calling the move a corporate scheme to duck UPS’s legal obligation to create over 22,000 new full-time union jobs. “UPS is dangling insulting buyouts and hoping no one notices it’s setting our contract on fire,” said O’Brien. He also warned that the proposed payouts fall well short of what long-time drivers earn, and would leave many without the retiree healthcare coverage guaranteed under the current agreement.

Adding to the tension, the Teamsters say UPS has failed to meet other critical contract requirements—like delivering data on job openings and vehicle air conditioning upgrades—and hasn’t responded to the union’s formal information requests. “Our members won’t be bought off or sold out,” O’Brien emphasized. “UPS must honor its commitments. Profits don’t come before people—not now, not ever.”