News Photo by Temi Fadayomi A UPS delivery truck leaves a UPS access point on M-32 in Alpena to go make a delivery on Monday. UPS may face widespread worker strikes if a deal or extension isn’t agreed to by July 31.

ALPENA — With about two weeks remaining until a potential strike of union UPS workers, it remains unclear what impact a strike would have in Northeast Michigan.

It is unknown the volume of UPS packages handled in Alpena or the number of UPS workers in Northeast Michigan, but according to Ellis Wood of Teamsters Local 406, a Grand Rapids-based union that includes Alpena in its area of representation said there are more than 4,000 union UPS workers who would go on strike if a deal isn’t reached.

According to Wood, no new negotiations are currently planned.

“There are no negotiations scheduled to my knowledge,” he said.

Alpena currently has two UPS access points — spots where ready-to-ship packages can be dropped off or received — on M-32 and on Lockwood Street as well as UPS drop box locations on M-32, Chisholm Street, River Street and N. 2nd Avenue.

Alpena also has a UPS Store, which is a locally owned franchise, meaning that its employees won’t be directly involved in strikes. However in the event of a workers strike, the store would still be impacted, officials say.

“We are not UPS,” Debbie Alexander, a UPS Store employee said earlier this week. “If they go on strike we don’t go on strike. A strike would obviously affect us, since we wouldn’t get any pick-ups or deliveries.”

While a strike may limit some of the Ripley Boulevard store’s functionality, it would still be able to offer other services such as receiving mail.

Discussions of a strike involving all union UPS workers came to the forefront when contract negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters broke down earlier this month with both sides blaming the other.

Before contract talks broke down, both sides had reached tentative agreements on several issues, including installing air conditioning in more trucks and getting rid of a two-tier wage system for drivers who work weekends and earn less money.

A sticking point in negotiations is wage increases for part-time workers, who make a minimum of $16.20 an hour, according to UPS.

UPS delivers around 25 million packages a day, representing about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes.

Teamsters represents 340,000 UPS workers, who last month voted for strike authorization, meaning that if a deal or extension doesn’t happen by midnight on July 31, then a strike is likely.

Despite this, UPS claims that it wants to reach an agreement with the union.

“We remain focused on reaching an agreement with the Teamsters that is a win for UPS employees, our customers, our union, and our company before Aug. 1,” UPS Media Relations/Network Communications Strategy Supervisor Mechelle Stanchfield said in an email.

The Teamsters represent more than half of the company’s workforce in the largest private-sector contract in North America. If a strike does happen, it would be the first since a 15-day walkout by 185,000 workers a quarter century ago.

In a news release last week, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel expressed her support for union workers.

“I am a strong supporter of unions and workers’ rights and support the Teamsters in their fight for improved benefits and fair wages,” Nessel said. “UPS’ work is critical for Michigan residents and businesses alike, and I urge UPS to come to a fair resolution for their employees and avoid an interruption of commerce.”

Outside of negotiations, UPS is also taking some precautions in the event that a strike does happen and has begun training non-union workers to fill in slots in the event of a strike.

“We have a responsibility as an essential service provider to take steps to help ensure we can deliver our customers’ packages if the Teamsters choose to strike,” Stanchfield said.

Over the coming weeks, many of our U.S. employees will participate in training that would help them safely serve our customers if there is a labor disruption. This training is aligned with our ongoing commitment to safety and business continuity. These activities also will not take away from our ongoing efforts to finalize a new contract that increases our employees.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.