UPS Workers Vote to Authorize Nationwide Strike Amidst Heat Safety Concerns.

United Parcel Service workers in the US have authorized their union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, to call a strike as soon as August 1, after the current contract expires. Negotiations began in April but have yet to resolve pay. A UPS strike could have significant economic fallout, as the company handles about one-quarter of the tens of millions of parcels shipped each day in the US. The two sides have reached tentative agreements on a number of issues since they began negotiating a national contract in April, most recently on heat safety, but have yet to tackle pay increases.