UPS CEO Carol Tome sells investors on new Teamsters labor contract

UPS CEO Carol Tome said the costs incurred by the company for the new Teamsters contract are less than the “$30 billion in new money” touted by the union, as the company aims to sell investors on the agreement.

“It’s not a $30 billion deal,” Tome told CNBC’s Frank Holland in an exclusive interview on Monday. But Tome declined to reveal the internal projection as the company released its first presentation to investors outlining the labor expenses after the bell Monday.

UPS said 46% of the compensation in the deal would be in the first year. Tome called the agreement cost-effective and fair.

“It’s a barbell structure where it’s heavier in the beginning of the contract.” Tome said. “We’ll go in the middle of the contract and it steps back down. This 46% of the cost increase happens in the first year, so imagine what the last four years of the contract are!”

The increases “are really good for us and a 3.3% compounded annual growth rate,” she added. “That’s a deal we’ll take every day, but it wasn’t just about the money. We’ve got work/life balance for people, while retaining the ability to deliver on the weekend, which is really important for our customers.”

The labor contract reached in July prevented a potentially widespread and disruptive work stoppage. A Teamsters strike would have been the “costliest in a century,” creating a $7 billion hit to the U.S. economy in the first 10 days, according to a widely reported estimate from Anderson Economic Group.

It also was another milestone in a summer marked by pushes for massive new contracts — and even strikes —‎ in industries ranging from airlines and automaking to television and film. At UPS, full-time drivers will earn up to $170,000 in pay and benefits in the last year of the contract, while part-time workers will see their starting pay rise from $16.20 to $21 an hour.‏

Official negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters began in April, as union leaders urged members to mobilize and create a “show of force it needs to take on the company.” In June, Teamsters members authorized a UPS strike during the negotiations. Weeks later, both sides accused the other of walking away from the contract talks.

In late July, UPS and the Teamsters announced they had reached a tentative contract…