Teamsters vote to strike if contract negotiations fail with UPS

WASHINGTON - The Teamsters have voted overwhelmingly to strike if contract negotiations fail with United Parcel Service Inc. <br> <br> Preliminary results show 93 percent of the Teamsters who work for UPS and voted during the weekend support a walkout if an agreement is not reached, said union spokesman Bret Caldwell. About 75 percent of the precincts were reporting Monday. <br> <br> &#34;This strike authorization shows the company that Teamsters members stand behind their negotiating committee and that we are working toward getting a strong fair contract,&#34; Caldwell said. <br> <br> The current five-year contract expires July 31. Final results are expected in about a week. <br> <br> UPS has cautioned that the vote is a normal part of the negotiating process and should not be taken as a barometer of the progress. Talks are continuing this week in Chicago. <br> <br> A two-week strike by 185,000 Teamsters in 1997 cost the company millions of dollars, crippling the Atlanta-based package delivery giant. <br> <br> <br>