New contract for 190 Philly-area DHL Teamsters includes self-driving vehicle ban

Over 190 DHL employees in Sharon Hill and West Deptford could soon get more protections against AI in a new union contract that also bans self-driving cars and raises wages.

The Philadelphia-area workers are among thousands of DHL employees in 16 states represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The Teamsters reached a tentative agreement with DHL just days before the contract was set to expire, the union announced Sunday.

“Our members were united and forced DHL to deliver real gains,” Bill Hamilton, director of the Teamsters Express Division, said in a statement. “The agreement protects jobs, raises standards, and puts DHL Teamsters in a stronger position for the future.”

The agreement, which workers will vote on in the coming weeks, would end in 2030. It includes on average a 20% wage increase for workers throughout the four years. DHL and Teamsters did not share how much workers currently earn or would make under the proposed plan.

The tentative agreement also includes “safeguards against AI-driven routing systems that undermine seniority,” the union has said, and bans the use of self-driving vehicles.

“At DHL Express, we believe that fostering a collaborative and respectful relationship with our employees and their representatives is key to our continued success,” company spokesperson Robert Mintz said via email Monday. “We have worked diligently to reach a fair agreement that reinforces our commitment to delivering reliable, high-quality service to our customers.”

The Teamsters had threatened to strike if an agreement was not reached by the end of the current contract on March 31.

Hamilton said at the time, “Our members will not work a day past the expiration of our current agreement. If DHL fails to deliver, Teamsters at the company are prepared to take action.”