Into the home stretch: Teamsters, UPS `far apart' in talks to beat July 31 contract expiration. (Ports/Intermodal).(Brief Article)

United Parcel Service and the Teamsters union are entering their seventh consecutive week of contract negotiations, and the final month of their current contract, with a renewed sense of urgency. 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 Teamsters negotiating team, says the two sides are "far apart" on economic issues. A UPS spokesman remained optimistic that a deal could be reached before the July 31 expiration of the Current five-year deal.

The union presented a majority of its …