Tampa Teamsters organize for better heat protection
Tampa, FL – On Thursday, August 15, the Tampa Teamsters spoke to the media and distributed fliers denouncing UPS’s ongoing failures on heat protection. Workers distributed thermometers to other workers and asked them to fill out questionnaires on heat protection to raise awareness of the intense heat workers face every day during the Florida summer.
UPS has made no effort to comply with the heat protection requirements set out in the recently agreed contract. Despite this, workers were willing to raise their voices for better heat protection. One worker submitted the heat protection survey with the comment, “Let’s make a change now!”
“It’s annoying to hear in the middle of August that UPS has had new fans for months and hasn’t bothered to install them. I heard it hit 90 degrees Fahrenheit in our building. That temperature is dangerous for the kind of work we do,” explained Simon Rowe, a UPS preloader. As part of the UPS contract for 2023-2028, UPS is required to install tens of thousands of fans nationwide. In addition, new trucks are to be equipped with air conditioning starting January 1, 2024. As of the end of the first summer of the contract, none have been purchased yet.
Heat protection became a major issue in contract negotiations after UPS driver Esteban Chavez Jr. died of heat exhaustion in 2022. Despite promises to eventually equip UPS trucks with air conditioning, no effort has been made to equip buildings with air conditioning.
Heat protection is a key issue that unites workers across all industries. From drivers to loaders, everyone agrees it’s too hot. Workers vow to continue their fight to demand better from UPS. UPS made nearly $10 billion last year while workers continue to suffer the extreme temperatures.
#TampaFL #UPS #Heat protection #Employee rights
