CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Shipping delays for frequent Coastal Bend shoppers could be on the horizon as talks between the UPS union and the shipping company remain at a standstill.
UPS workers are considering a strike when their contract is up at the end of July.
They have until Aug 1. to reach a deal or 340,000 workers nationwide could hit the picket line.
"We do get shipments pretty regularly because we do sell a lot. So if that stops then we won't have anything to sell," said Brianna Garcia, who works at La Palmera mall where many businesses depend on shippers like UPS to stay in business.
But even outside the mall, a lot of smaller Corpus Christi businesses are in similar straits, such as Coffee Waves Manager Josiah Wallace.
"If they go on strike and anything like that happens and we're not able to get deliveries from them, it's definitely going to affect supply chain. We're definitely going to have to take a few things off the menu for sure," he said.
UPS driver and union shop steward Jim Hadely said workers just want to be treated fairly.
"We work long hours and strenuous hours on the crazy heat and cold, all conditions. We made the company a lot of money over the last five years I would just ask them to come to the table," he said.
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi economics professor Jim Lee said it may not be as bad as the last strike some 25 years ago when there were no other options.
"Make sure, especially locally, for families and businesses, make sure you utilize those options. Think about what else you can do," he said.
For business owners, that could mean something as simple as going to a store to get merchandise. However Wallace said it could still make things tough.
"We're a small local business. We don't have a ton of storage to stock extra just in case or anything like that," he said.
Garcia said that the strike it could impact her income.
"My manager kind of tries to even out hours between all of us. And if we're selling less then, the company might cut our hours," she said.
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