We at Booksweet look forward of our daily delivery from UPS, which brings in most of the books and other fun items you see in our store. As you may have heard, UPS workers are currently negotiating for better pay, better working conditions, and more full-time jobs. If the union and UPS do not reach an agreement by the end of July, a strike is imminent.
We support the workers and recognize that strikes are meant to be disruptive. We also want to take care our readers as best we can in the midst of what will likely be a significant disruption. Publishers and wholesalers have reached out to us with their own plans for addressing the strike. They will shift many of their shipments to FedEx and USPS, but the increased volume for those carriers will mean packages are delayed beyond the speedy response times we’ve grown accustomed to.
Here’s a little of what to expect at Booksweet if there is a UPS strike:
- If all goes well, New Release Tuesday will continue as usual. But if there’s an upcoming book you know you want, please preorder! If it sells out, we don’t know how long it will take to get more.
- Similarly, please be patient with any special orders.
- If you have a time-sensitive order needed in August or September — such as for a class, a book club, a professional development workshop, a birthday — please get those orders in now.
- In the event the strike continues into the Fall, we can’t emphasize enough to do your holiday shopping early.
We won’t know the full effects of a UPS strike until we’re in the midst of it. But it would be the largest strike against a single employer in U.S. history, touching many of the everyday services that businesses and families rely upon. Booksweet will work to provide you with the best information we have, and will update you if things change. We appreciate your patience — you’re the best, readers!