New York
CNN
—
This was alleged to be the 12 months that air con got here to UPS supply vans. It hasn’t labored out that approach.
Regardless of a promise within the contract reached with the Teamsters union final 12 months, UPS has not but bought any new vans with AC, at the same time as temperatures soar throughout the nation and the dangers of extreme heat put employees in harms approach in and outside.
Nearly not one of the practically 100,000 brown package deal vans have AC. Temperatures contained in the vehicles, each the cab and particularly the cargo area the place drivers must go to fetch and drop off packages, can repeatedly get nicely over 120 levels, in keeping with the Teamsters union, which represents greater than 300,000 UPS workers.
The union’s demand for reduction from the warmth for its practically 100,000 members working as supply drivers was a serious sticking level in contract negotiations final 12 months between the union and the package deal supply large. It was excess of a difficulty of consolation; it was a employee security concern, in keeping with the union. Drivers have been recognized to suffer heatstroke, with some coming close to death, whereas on the job within the vans.
And as a part of the contract reached in late July of final 12 months, UPS agreed that each one vans bought after January 1 would come with air con.
UPS additionally agreed to retrofit current vans with followers within the cab, warmth shields beneath the cargo space and what are referred to as “scoop air intakes” within the cargo space. The followers have been put in in all of the vans, UPS stated. About two thirds have been retrofitted with the warmth shields and air scoops, lowering the temperature within the rear cargo by about 17 levels on common, in keeping with the corporate.
However there have been no vans bought this 12 months, so no further AC vans are on the roads. The corporate stated van buy selections are primarily based on package deal quantity and the necessity to exchange current fleet, and there was no must make purchases thus far.
The Teamsters aren’t happy by the dearth of progress on the AC.
“We’re halfway into the summer season, and albeit UPS just isn’t shifting quick sufficient,” stated the union in an announcement to CNN. “We’re conscious that UPS has put in all contractually required second followers, and UPS is forward of schedule within the set up of warmth shields and air induction scoops for package deal compartment air flow. But it surely’s not sufficient.”
There are a small variety of vans – within the a whole bunch – which have AC. These are electrical vans, or specialised vans for rural space that may go on gravel roads, UPS stated. However they make up solely a small fraction of the 94,000 UPS package deal vans on American roads.
The variety of vans with AC was certain to develop slowly. Some vans can final for greater than 15 years. Retrofitting the prevailing fleet was going to deliver extra instant reduction.
UPS advised CNN it is extremely involved with employees’ security and that AC was by no means going to be key to its warmth mitigation efforts. Along with the warmth defend and air scoops, it has put in an extra 1,500 ice machines and 1,700 water fountains in its services.
It stated it additionally offered specialised cooling gear for UPS drivers and inside employees to put on, in addition to water jugs for drivers. And for inside employees it has put in further followers in its buildings and can set up extra.
However AC continues to be a rarity within the UPS vans on the highway.