ATLANTA — Many business owners across metro Atlanta are relieved to hear the news that Teamsters reached a tentative deal with UPS to avoid a looming strike.
Eslene Richmond Shockley breathed a sigh of relief when she heard UPS workers had avoided a strike.
Shockley says a strike could have devastated her charitable organization, Caring For Others, in southeast Atlanta.
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“It’s a great thing, no strike,” Shockley said. “How much do you guys depend on UPS?” Channel 2′s Tom Jones asked. “We depend on them every day to bring these products to us,” Shockley responded.
Caring For Others, Inc. takes money from donated clothes and food and helps those less fortunate.
Shockley said every day UPS is dropping off or picking up at her business.
“We depend on them every day to pick up our boxes as well as bring the products. We cannot really survive without UPS bringing our donations,” Shockley said.
Those donations were in jeopardy when the Teamsters Union representing more than 340,000 workers threatened to strike soon if it didn’t reach a deal with Atlanta-based UPS.
Shockley said that had her thinking how her organization would be affected.
“And trying to move things around to make sure we could operate during the time of a strike,” Shockley said.
Then the two sides reached a tentative agreement Tuesday.
Ken Lewis who owns The Men’s Room Two clothing store in Clayton County is also relieved.
Lewis said it would have been hard for him to get his suits to his clients if there was a strike.
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“So if they stopped or went on strike, they would have messed up my business quite a bit,” Lewis said.
It eased his worries when he saw the two sides reached a deal.
“I can’t make my money unless UPS has my stuff here on time,” Lewis said.
Lewis said he would have had to use another company if there was a strike.
But he said no other company works as smoothly as UPS does delivering his products so it would have been a serious setback.
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