"UPS workers rally in New York to protest hot working conditions", 28 July 2022

UPS workers rallied Thursday morning to demand that the company provide workers adequate relief during periods of extreme heat.

Union leaders at the rally described UPS distribution centers “infernos” with limited air conditioning. The rally was inspired by the June death of 24-year-old Esteban Chavez, a UPS driver who collapsed while working a 90-degree day in Pasadena, California...

UPS responded to claims by union officials by saying the health and safety of its workers are the company’s top priorities. “UPS drivers are trained to work outdoors and to manage the effects of hot weather,” a company spokesperson told CNBC...

Perrone, who was a UPS driver for over 25 years, said that he had sought medical attention on three separate occasions throughout his career. Perrone has been the Local 804 president for three and a half years.

“I had four drivers just last week on Thursday and Friday that had to go to the emergency room because of the heat,” Perrone told CNBC during the rally. In one case, he said, management didn’t call an ambulance.

“These buildings are infernos inside,” he said. “The only things that are air conditioned are the management’s offices and where they keep their electronics.”

Local 804 Vice President Christopher Williamson said the management cuts off air conditioning in the warehouses at 6 p.m. and challenged the company’s CEO, Carol Tome, to spend a night in a warehouse...

UPS said it spends $270 million each year on safety programs, including for working in hot weather.

“Preparation, rest, hydration and maintaining good health practices are key to working outdoors,” a spokesperson said. UPS has a “Cool Solutions” program that educates “employees about hydration, along with nutrition and proper sleep before working in hotter temperatures,” along with providing water and ice to delivery and warehouse workers, the representative added...