This about UPS workers summary was featured in Documented’s Early Arrival newsletter. You can subscribe to receive it in your inbox three times per week here.
For UPS workers in a warehouse in Brooklyn, the thought of going to work has become a real-life hell, right down to the extreme heat.
As New York City experienced temperatures north of 90 degrees these past few weeks, workers at UPS’s Foster Avenue warehouse in Canarsie, Brooklyn, have been had to work without air conditioning.
The warehouse is poorly ventilated, affecting some of the workers’ ability to breathe. But opening the windows only lets in more heat, they say.
In our latest story, Amir Khafagy, Documented’s Report for America Corps member who covers labor, spoke to several warehouse workers about their stifling working conditions.
“It’s hell,” said one worker. The warehouse itself, which is covered in steel, routinely reaches north of 100 degrees.
UPS drivers also face un-airconditioned trucks that can reach temperatures as high as 121 degrees. In Arizona and Los Angeles, there were two known cases of workers collapsing and dying on the job as a result of heat stroke and exhaustion.
UPS’ statement contrasts what these workers say: A spokesperson told Amir that heating and air cooling services are provided at the facility in Brooklyn, in addition to educational sessions about hot weather situations.
But the workers say they aren’t seeing the implementation of such services.
Teamsters Local 804, the union that represents UPS workers, has held several rallies demanding air conditioning in the trucks. Now, they have also launched a nationwide campaign to win a strong contract in 2023 that addresses safety and health concerns around heat illness, among other things.
Besides heat, the workers also complained of several issues, including a major violation of company policy, which Amir reveals in Documented’s latest exclusive. Read the full report here for more about it.
STORIES WE ARE FOLLOWING
New York
Texas governor sends buses of migrants to New York: The bus arrived Friday with 50 migrants, and another 50 arrived yesterday. Volunteers directed the migrants to city resources. — Reuters
New York congress members demand answers from DHS on NYC migrant buses: They sent a letter asking what DHS was doing to ensure migrants are being sent to the right places and being given a fair chance to plead their case in court. — NBC New York
Suspect accused of murdering Chinese delivery worker seemingly dies by suicide: Glenn Hirsch failed to appear for a court hearing on Friday. Detectives found him dead at home. — NY Daily News
Sikh immigrant woman’s suicide after abuse reveals larger problem: The leader of a Punjabi American group says Sikh women often suffer domestic abuse silently because they’re afraid of dishonoring their families. — The Indian Express
Around the U.S.
Texas governor has sent over 6,100 immigrants to D.C.: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has begun sending migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border into New York as well as D.C. — Yahoo News
Pentagon rejects D.C.’s request for National Guard migrant help: Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser requested National Guard assistance to help deal with an influx of migrants coming from Texas. — AP News
Washington D.C.
Trump DHS officials worked to keep migrant parents and children apart longer: An investigation reveals one ICE official said quick family reunifications “undermine” the purpose of the separations, which were meant to deter migration. — The Atlantic
Senate Democrats reject immigration amendment to spending bill: While the Senate has voted down anti-immigration policies proposed for Democrats’ spending bill, lawmakers warned they could still derail the package in the House. — Bloomberg
