Several posters seem to be under the common misimpression that Disability Coverage is paid for by UPS, and that the employees pay no premiums. It's a free gift from UPS to us and we should be thankful. The implication is that all our benefits are free and paid for by a generous UPS. Many people also believe government provided benefits are free too, and the Democratic Party is the "Party of Compassion" because they want to give us all higher and higher benefits. Unlike the cruel, heartless, and inhumane Republicans, who claim these benefits are actually being paid for by we the taxpayers, and aren't free at all.
Actually, your entire compensation package is paid for by you, the employee, not your employer. You earned it by doing work all week long. It is paid to you in the form of a payroll check, a Pension Fund contribution, a Health & Welfare Fund conribution, a Social Security contribution, and a few other things. This total payment package is subject to negotiation between the Union and the Company, both as to the total amount owed, and as to how the total will be split amongst the various benefits. UPS is not a charity, (though they do make charitable donations, but that is another matter entirely.) Every benefit you get, in whatever form paid, is a benefit you earned. Or more precisely, "you" the employees collectively, earned, since these are group benefits. They are payments in lieu of wages.
What confuses people is that shippers pay their bills to UPS exclusively. Shippers don't pay a portion to UPS and a portion to the Union (or to the hourly workers directly.) Thus, while a portion of the revenue is ours, and we'll get it in a few days, it is in UPS' hands initially. When UPS cuts you a paycheck, they are not giving you a charitable gift. They are settling up with you by giving you your cut of the revenue.
All contributions to Pension and Health & Welfare Funds are the employee's money that is initially in the hands of UPS, but is legally due the employee. The employees have just instructed the Payroll Department to direct a portion of their money due, to the funds, instead of including in in their paycheck. It's like when an employee gives the Payroll Department a dues checkoff authorization. It doesn't mean UPS is paying your dues to the Union out of their own pocket. (Which would be illegal.) It means they are taking a portion of the money they owe you and sending it directly to the Union, to save time and effort. If they sent it to you in the form of a slightly bigger paycheck, you would then have to make the extra effort to pay your dues yourself by seperate check. UPS is just cutting out the middleman when they send your contributions directly to the Union, the IRS, state and local government, the Pension Plan, the H & W Plan, etc.
Here in New England we contribute $7.16 per hour to our H & W plan. This amounts to $286 a week for a 40-hour week, ($14,900 per year.) This is our money. We earned it. A portion of that contribution pays for our Disability Coverage. When someone becomes eligible for Disability Pay, (or any other benefit,) they are drawing from a fund financed by their years of contributions, and those of their fellow workers. UPS just handles the logistics and takes a big tax deduction for their effort. End of lesson. Class dismissed.