“My neighborhood where I grew up in Boston, if two people had a disagreement and you had nothing to do with it, you just kept walking,” O’Brien said in recent remarks to union members.
“And we echoed that to the White House on numerous occasions and we don’t need anybody getting involved in this fight,” he added.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre voiced confidence on Monday that the union and UPS would be able to reach an agreement to avert a strike in the weeks ahead.
She also said the administration is looking to help both sides make progress toward a deal.
“Anytime there are these discussions, we want to make ensure we are playing a constructive and productive role,” Jean-Pierre said at the White House press briefing.
The White House notably worked with negotiators last year to help prevent what could have been the first national railroad strike in three decades.
Jean-Pierre’s recent comments come as concerns arise that thousands of UPS workers could also be on the verge of striking for the first time in more than 20 years.
Talks between UPS and the Teamsters fell apart earlier this month after both sides previously struggled to reach consensus on the economic portion of a new contract for workers.
“Since July 5, we have sent UPS a loud message,” O’Brien said Sunday, telling members: “We don’t need side hustles, what we need are better wages.”
“UPS is scared, we’re backing them into a corner,” he added. “We will win this fight. We will force UPS to come back to the table, but we have to stay united.”
The Hill’s Alex Gangitano has more here.
