Teamsters Seek Emergency Injunction to Block UPS Driver Choice Buyout

Emergency Court Bid Over UPS Buyout

United Parcel Service faces an emergency legal challenge after the Teamsters Union files for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts on Feb. 9, 2026. The motion seeks to block UPS’s planned rollout of a revised driver buyout, the Driver Choice Program (DCP), arguing the program breaches the 2023 National Master Agreement and undermines bargained protections for hundreds of thousands of workers.

Teamsters Seek Injunction to Halt Driver Choice Program

The union alleges at least six violations of the national contract and accuses UPS of conducting a second illegal buyout scheme following last summer’s Driver Voluntary Separation Program (DVSP). Teamsters filings say UPS ignores more than 57 requests for information and documents made since late January and that CEO Carol Tomé and other executives negotiated DCP terms behind closed doors. The union contends the program involves direct dealing with workers, eliminates union jobs UPS contractually agreed to create, and erodes shop steward rights secured in the 2023 agreement.

If implemented, the DCP offers drivers a one-time lump-sum payment in exchange for legally committing never to work for UPS again, waiving union representation and surrendering lifetime earnings, employer-paid health care and guaranteed retirement benefits, the union says. The filings describe the updated program as broader than last summer’s DVSP, which targeted tenured drivers nearing retirement and was largely rejected by Teamsters membership. Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien says UPS aims to “inflate earnings on the backs of Teamsters families” and demands the company dismantle the buyout or face court and street actions.

Wider Labor Pushback

The union documents note widespread worker rejection of the earlier program—drivers publicly shredding or burning offered checks on social media—and say multiple Teamsters local unions have already filed grievances challenging UPS’s actions. The filings signal coordinated legal and protest responses if UPS proceeds with the DCP.

Legal and Operational Stakes

The dispute centers on whether the DCP undercuts protections won in the 2023 national contract and whether UPS’s communications with drivers constitute unlawful direct dealing. A federal court decision could shape how large parcel carriers design separation incentives and handle collective-bargaining obligations in an industry facing tight labor markets and ongoing pressure to control costs.