Into the homestretch: Teamsters, UPS 'far apart' in talks to beat July 31 contract expiration. (Up Front).(Brief Article)

United Parcel Service and the Teamsters union are entering their seventh consecutive week of negotiations with a renewed sense of urgency as they enter the final month of the current agreement. The two sides are just beginning to tackle the nitty-gritty of negotiating compromises after examining their initial economic proposals.

Ken Hall, the union's parcel and small package division director who is heading the IBT negotiating team, says the two sides are "far apart" on economic issues. A UPS spokesman remained optimistic a deal could be reached before the July 31 expiration of the current five-year deal.

The union presented a majority of its economic proposals for the first time to UPS …