Amid rising temperatures last year, unionized UPS workers made heat an issue – but despite a key contract win, workers say little progress has been made

Amid rising temperatures last year, unionized UPS workers made heat an issue – but despite a key contract win, workers say little progress has been made

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The company’s dark aluminum package vans can amplify outdoor heat, with workers having recorded temperatures over 120F (49C) in the vehicles.

The heat is not merely uncomfortable but also dangerous, with drivers suffering heatstroke on the job each summer and incidents turning fatal in some cases. Pacic has seen these dangers in his own region: this month, a UPS driver was hospitalized after getting into an accident while experiencing heat exhaustion, union officials say. And last August, Chris Begley, a 28-year UPS veteran, suffered a medical emergency while driving in 103F heat. He died four days later.

Amid spiking temperatures last summer, 340,000 unionized UPS workers made heat a key issue during labor negotiations with their employer. They secured a major win when, as part of a new union contract, the company agreed that each of the iconic chocolate-brown package vans it purchased after 1 January would include air conditioning – part of a commitment to equip 28,000 package cars with the cooling devices by the contract’s end on 31 July 2028.

Today, however, the union says UPS has made little progress toward that goal. CNN reported last month that it has not purchased any new vans since 1 January, and as such, only a small fraction of its delivery drivers have access to cooling technology.

  • metaStatic@kbin.earth
    104·
    2 months ago

    This union sounds incompetent and the drivers should literally refuse to work without retrofitted AC.

      • Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de
        41·
        2 months ago

        If you are in a union and don’t have a strike fund, then you are an idiot. You should expect to strike at any moment if need be. This sounds like a need.

        • Samvega@lemmy.blahaj.zone
          51·
          2 months ago

          If you are in a union and don’t have a strike fund, then you are an idiot.

          The thing about working poverty is that you don’t have many savings.

          • Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de
            1·
            2 months ago

            It’s funny how compliance to a contract is a one way street. Don’t strike then, just go very slow. Your package from the next town over will take two weeks.

    • bbbbbbbbbbb@lemmy.world
      32·
      2 months ago

      Um, ok fuck you first of all. This union administration is trying to make up for several contracts worth of handouts to the company. The contract we got last year gave us iirc 67 additional benefits including raises, AC, retirement benefits, job security, and more.

      In regards to the AC issue, the company and union agreed that by the end of the contract 28k new trucks would be purchased after 1/1/2024 and every truck purchased after that date would come with AC. Its true the company is dragging their feet here but they arent failing any expectations. We cant just refuse to work because the company hasnt been in violation on anything yet.

      If you want to play the blame game you dont start with the union.

      • metaStatic@kbin.earth
        1·
        2 months ago

        if you’re required to work when ambient temps are higher than core body temp any other win is worthless. one of those 67 benefits better be life insurance.