HEBRON, Ky. — Some workers at a major cargo company in northern Kentucky are planning to go on strike if they can’t reach an agreement during contract negotiations.

What You Need To Know

  • Some workers at the DHL hub in northern Kentucky are planning to go on strike

  • Workers want better pay, benefits

  •  They say the company will only negotiate up until Dec. 7

  • One negotiator says the two sides are far apart

DHL workers are prepared to be in for the long haul if they can’t get better pay, among other demands.

The Teamsters represent about 1,100 employees at the DHL Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International hub. They voted to unionize in April and have been negotiating for a new contract since July.

Now time is running out. According to the Teamsters, the company told them it wouldn’t negotiate after Dec. 7, although DHL tells Spectrum News 1 there is no deadline.

Nick Prather, who is on the Teamsters negotiating committee, said workers are prepared to go on strike.

“I believe the company and the union are very far apart,” Prather said. “Unless DHL gives a serious offer, they have the opportunity to take this union on a strike.”

Union workers voted to approve the strike at 98%. They say they want better pay, benefits and working conditions.

“They feel like DHL hasn’t had their back. They don’t really trust them as an employer,” Prather said. “This is not just a bunch of people looking for more money. They want to come to work and not feel like they can be retaliated against. They want to have a safe workplace. They want to provide for their families. And that’s what they’re fighting for. They’ve seen union power show that you can get a strong contract, and they’re just looking for a strong contract.”

The hub handles hundreds of thousands of pounds of cargo every day, so a strike would be a significant stoppage.

The company sent Spectrum News 1 a statement that reads, in part:

"While it is unfortunate the US Teamsters have decided to increase the external rhetoric and communicate inaccuracies around the status of these CVG Hub negotiations, we have consistently sought to bargain in good faith and to find constructive solutions at the negotiating table. Their latest decision was anticipated and a situation for which we are fully prepared.

"Given the Teamster rhetoric and threats of work stoppages to disrupt and influence these negotiations, DHL Express has activated an initial phase of contingency plans. These include activating supplemental staff at CVG and temporarily moving flights and volume away from CVG to other key strategic DHL locations throughout the Americas Region."

DHL says there is no agreed deadline for negotiations and it remains committed to work in good faith with the teamsters.

Prather said the Teamsters don’t want to harm DHL.

“They’ve been a successful company. We want them to continue to be successful, because as their profits grow we want to share. But the important thing for our members is they’re getting rewarded for the hard work they do. And they do a very intense job,” he said.

As of right now, they have two more agreed upon days to come to an agreement.

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