UPS workers reveal troubling conditions related to extreme heat and no air conditioning in trucks

UPS workers may strikePhoto byYoutube screenshot

There is no air conditioning in UPS trucks

We see the United Parel Service trucks in our neighborhoods on a regular basis and in Virginia ther are 136 UPS stores. How many of us knew that behind the scenes the UPS drivers have been dealing with some extreme situations that have impacted their health and even taken a life. This is why unionized workers plan to strike to ensure better conditions. Their concerns are part-time pay, excessive overtime, and a lack of air conditioning in trucks among other issues.

UPS driver Colin Morgan who had been driving in extreme heat passed out on a front porch last year after cool air from the house hit him and his fainting was caught on the home's video system. There have also been reports of workers being hospitalized due to the heat but they spoke off-record and were afraid to come forward out of fear of retaliation.

UPS strike will affect the nationsPhoto byYoutube screenshot

Negotiations are under way for change

One UPS employee Escoban Chavez died last year after passing out in his truck and his family says it was because of the heat and no air conditioning. It's difficult to believe a company s successful as UPS had not upgraded their vehicles over the years but now due to a possible labor union strike some things might change. The current contract expires on July 31 and Kara Deniz a Teamsters spokesperson said that since negotiations began in April there have been two dozen tentative agreements reached with UPS.

the union wants improvements to driver safety, particularly the lack of air conditioning in delivery trucks, which has been blamed for the death of a driver and hospitalizations of others. On Tuesday, the union and the company announced they reached a tentative agreement to equip more trucks with air conditioning equipment. Under the agreement, UPS said it would add air conditioning to U.S. small delivery vehicles purchased after January 1, 2024.

It's in the best interest of customers, the UPS workers and their families that a quick agreement takes place because the impact of a strike will be huge with "massive disruptions". Be on the lookout for updates to this story as they become available.