Aurora Starchild
UPS drivers are ending up in the hospital everywhere as brutal heat from climate change is endangering their lives. Over 107 UPS employees have been hospitalized in 23 states since 2015, and now union representatives are demanding immediate action.
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UPS Trucks Have Reached Internal Temperature of 150 Degrees
UPS trucks have recorded internal temperatures of a staggering 152 degrees Fahrenheit — hotter than a steam room. Although the corporation makes upwards of $6 Billion a year, they refuse to install AC units in the trucks because it supposedly would be “ineffective.”
35-year-old Matthew Moczygemba recently told NBC about his experience with heat exhaustion while driving for UPS.
“I stopped sweating and was starting to get cold,” he told the news channel. “It was a bad feeling.” He pulled his truck over and then vomited onto the curb.
Moczygemba ended up getting hospitalized for dehydration and heat exhaustion. It was 103 degrees that day in Fort Worth, Texas.
The heat is affecting UPS workers of all ages. Jose Cruz, 23, of Central Texas, died of what his family believes was heat exhaustion less than one year ago. He was found deceased, lying in the parking lot of a UPS facility in Waco, Texas, on Aug 12, 2021.
24-year-old UPS driver Esteban Chavez, Jr. collapsed in nearly 100-degree heat in Pasadena, California. He was found later in his UPS truck. It was one day after his 24th birthday.
Another UPS driver, unnamed, was recorded via Ring doorbell collapsing in front of a customer’s house. The video was shared by Scottsdale, Arizona homeowner Brian Enriquez this past July. The driver is seen walking up to the porch and falling over. He lay on the ground for some time before eventually getting up and ringing the doorbell. Temperatures reached 110 that day.
UPS veteran and union steward Jeff Schenfeld said that the heat has been getting worse. “Left and right people are falling out,” he told NBC. “Something is different this year. It’s a lot more people.”
UPS and Teamsters Demanding Company Make Immediate Changes to Protect Workers
Unionized UPS workers are represented by the Teamsters Union, which is demanding that UPS immediately do something about worker conditions. Teamsters demands include providing fans inside every truck, providing consistent supplies of water and ice, as well as cooling neck towels and breathable uniforms. They are also demanding that more employees be hired so as to reduce UPS drivers’ workloads.
Sean M. O’Brien, Teamsters general president, said that UPS isn’t being proactive about the emergency. UPS issued statements claiming that UPS drivers are “trained” for their working conditions, and that AC would be “ineffective” considering how often doors on the trucks are opening.
“By refusing to implement these safety measures,” said O’Brien, “the company is literally sending drivers out to die in the heat.”
