UPS makes about $75 Billion per year in profit. This is a $25k increase after a few years of record inflation. There are 300k teamsters at UPS (including other jobs like package handler). If 1/3 of those employees are drivers, we're talking a 3% reduction in profits. They can afford it. (also worth nothing this $170k is also including all benefits).

>this just means more people will get laid off.

The threat of a strike makes this much less likely.

Anecdotally UPS drivers are much, much better than Fedex and Amazon. They don't toss my packages or leave them sitting in the rain etc...