‘They Blinked’: UPS Call Led to $30 Billion Teamsters Win (1)

Sean O’Brien was rallying a crowd of union members in Los Angeles last week to prepare them for a possible United Parcel Service Inc. strike, when the tides turned with a single phone call.

Moments after the Teamsters leader stepped off the stage, a UPS representative reached out to say the company wanted to resume negotiations that had fallen apart on July 5. O’Brien asked for a new proposal by email, and decided it was enough to restart talks.

The two sides met Tuesday morning in Washington. Within hours, a deal was done.

“We put a lot of pressure on ...