A threatened U.S. strike at United Parcel Service (UPS.N) could be "one of the costliest in at least a century," topping $7 billion for a 10-day work stoppage, a think tank specializing in the economic impact of labor actions said on Thursday.
That estimate from Michigan-based Anderson Economic Group (AEG) includes UPS customer losses of $4 billion and lost direct wages of more than $1 billion. A 15-day UPS strike in 1997 disrupted the supply of goods, cost the world's biggest parcel delivery firm $850 million and sent some customers to rivals like FedEx (FDX.N).
Roughly 340,000 union-represented UPS workers handle about a quarter of U.S. parcel deliveries and serve virtually every city and town in the nation. A strike could delay millions of daily deliveries, including Amazon.com (AMZN.O) orders, electronic components and lifesaving prescription drugs, shipping experts warned. They added this also could reignite supply-chain snarls that stoke inflation.
Anderson said a UPS employee walkout would be a bigger risk to the U.S. economy than a work stoppage by UAW workers at the "Detroit Three" automakers, who started contract talks on Thursday.
He noted that the automaker talks cover fewer workers and have a limited geographic impact. In fiscal 2019, GM's (GM.N) fourth-quarter profit took a $3.6 billion hit from a 40-day UAW strike that shut down its profitable U.S. operations.
UPS faces two unappealing choices, Stifel analyst Bruce Chan said in a recent note: Risk a strike and resulting customer losses or acquiesce to Teamster demands that could worsen the company's labor cost disadvantage versus nonunion rivals in an inflationary environment.
I like how nowhere in the article does it say anything about workers getting better wages, except buried within the hideous dysphemism "lAbOr cOsT DiSaDvAnTaGe"
can't wait for UPS to sue the workers for billions and then the Supreme Court will say "yes this is good."
You're optimistic, I'm expecting Biden to ask Congress to bar UPS workers from striking to avoid dire economic consequences
It wouldn't be that hard for
to get Burgerlanders to get really mad at UPS strikers and to be driven to act against their political interests because it involves treat flow. 
ur MLM-Treatism is leading you astray. UPS is massively working class and everybody knows both that "logistics" workers are treated like shit and they are the ones actually delivering the treats.
What?
I support the striking UPS workers, entirely.
I'm worried about how
will twist public sentiment against them.
Watch
shut this one down like the railway strike. Gotta keep those tasty treats flowing.Why aren't the bazinga brains using this moment as an opportunity to hawk their shitty, hilariously useless tech alternatives to delivery workers? They used to love threatening people's livelihoods with AI and robots. I guess everyone knows they're bullshit artists, even gullible investors. Shame. I really wanted to watch YouTube compilations of qanoners blowing up delivery drones because they think Bezos is a groomer.
LETS GO 
