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Over the past two weeks, a report that both the West Charlotte and Cottonwood UPS hubs will be shutting down in December has circulated amongst workers and management. Combined, both facilities currently employ roughly more than 600 workers.

This comes after UPS announced in March that it would be shutting down the night sort at the West Charlotte hub, laying off 75 workers.

UPS workers reported to us last week that plans to shut down two Charlotte warehouses have been disclosed to management. News of this has slowly leaked to warehouse workers and drivers, but an official announcement is yet to be made. 

At its investor and analyst conference in March, UPS announced that it would close 200 facilities for the purpose of shifting volume to automated hubs, which require significantly less staff. Recently, the Charlotte Business Journal reported that UPS will be opening a new large warehouse at the end of this year in Rock Hill. While not confirmed, the opening of the Rock Hill hub coincides with the rumored closures of the West Charlotte and Cottonwood UPS hubs.

UPS has claimed that closure of hubs and laying off employees is due to a “reduction in volume.” UPS’s 2023 revenue tells a different story, however, as it continued to exceed its pre-COVID levels by billions of dollars. The company’s real reason for closing facilities and laying off thousands of its workers is to increase its profits by replacing them with automated facilities and machines.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, whose membership includes UPS workers, has done nothing to prevent layoffs. Union President, Sean M. O’Brien, posed for a with UPS workers in Charlotte just two days before the layoff rumors began. Teamsters officials have stated that the union was aware of coming layoffs, but decided not to include a clause that would allow the union to strike in the event of layoffs in its contract negotiations with UPS last summer. This is not uncommon. Last year, Teamsters sat idle as over 600 Charlotte workers were laid off at Yellow Corporation. Teamsters agreed to comply with the company and called off a strike just days before the layoffs occurred.

UPS workers come from some of the most exploited sections of the masses. The company, aware of this, maintains terrible working conditions, consistently cuts hours, and speeds up production knowing many of its employees often cannot easily find other sources of income. Despite being unionized, Teamsters’ leadership actively collaborates with the company and often doesn’t enforce the contract when UPS breaks it. The only way for UPS workers to protect themselves and ultimately elevate their conditions is to build power. UPS workers, like all workers, need an organization that is built off, and led by workers, which actively fights for their everyday demands.