Local 623 members have won over $32,000.00 from UPS with the help of City Hall. 

In 2020 and 2021 UPS implemented so-called "Market Rate Adjustments" to wages. These wage increases were deemed an emergency necessity in order to staff UPS facilities during the pandemic. Of course, the Union wished to bargain over these changes to our agreed upon contract. The Company refused. The wage increases were implemented.

"We knew that they would take these raises away as soon as they could." said Rich Hooker Jr. Principal Officer of Teamsters Local 623. Sure enough, as package volume dropped the company dropped the wage increases, cutting wages across the board. The union organized rallies and contacted political allies to highlight the hypocrisy of UPS and to try to pressure the company into reinstating the wage increases. But UPS wouldn't budge.

The union then looked for other options to fight for their members. After some discussion and debate among Union leaders and stewards several members realized that the Company may have broken the law.

"They never notified anyone about the wage cuts" said Teamster Business Agent Ron Camac. Under Philadelphia's wage and hour laws if a company wishes to change an employee's pay they must first notify the worker. In this case no members were notified of the wage cuts.

After a lengthy battle, the City of Philadelphia, with the help of Local 623 and individual union members, won the case against UPS securing some $32,000.00 in wage payments to be made to those affected workers. "It's not everything we wanted but we're happy we got some justice today" said Mr. Hooker.