KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — With the frustration surrounding delays on packages after the winter storm, Ted Stank from the University of Tennessee said UPS failed to communicate with customers about their packages. He is a supply chain management professor.
"I think people would have been less alarmed if they knew, 'Hey, your package is here at Callahan Drive,'" Stank said. "But instead, there was just, this nothing."
It's a frustration that affected his family.
"My wife gets meds every month," Stank said. "So we started calling the insurance company that handles the pharmaceutical delivery. And all they could tell us was, 'It's in the UPS system. We don't know where it is.'"
WBIR heard from a union in East Tennessee, the Teamsters Union 519, about the struggles workers have faced. The union said UPS needs to prioritize the well-being of its employees.
A portion of the statement from the union is available below.
"Despite the commitment and dedication exhibited by Teamster workers at UPS, the impact of recent inclement weather and the subsequent fallout from the company’s lack of preparedness at a corporate level has created a difficult work environment that requires urgent attention.
While the company is hiding behind bureaucratic obstacles and deflecting responsibility during the current crisis, UPS Teamsters are bearing the brunt of this catastrophe, oftentimes becoming the public punching bag for UPS."
In a statement to WBIR, a UPS spokesperson also commented about the delays. It's available below.
"We and the rest of the Knoxville community have faced significant challenges as a result of the recent winter storm. The safety of our employees remains a top priority. We have brought in additional resources to help clear out the backlog of packages and are working diligently to deliver every package as soon as possible. We appreciate the commitment by our drivers and package handlers to serve our customers."