Rank-and-file UPS workers rally for heat safety near Denver
Denver, CO – Rank-and-file members of Teamsters Local 455 rallied in the Commerce City UPS parking lot on September 4 to protest the continued lack of heat safety in their work hub. The Shop Floor Educators, an organization that has taken up the campaign for heat safety, provided snacks and refreshments, and led chants and speeches to the crowd of 15 Teamsters.
“We’ve been having a huge safety issue at UPS. It’s been one of the hottest summers on record—people are literally dying across the country,” said Keegan Estrella, a member of the Shop Floor Educators and member of the Safety Committee in the building. “We wanted to show UPS that we’re united in this struggle.”
“Stories about people getting injured, people suffering from heat injuries and having hard times through various means—not only is it happening to us now, it’s been happening for such a long time,” said Anthony Cole, another member of the Shop Floor Educators and a rank-and-file Teamster. “It’s been happening for literal decades, and we still need to continue fighting and continue organizing in order to change this.”
Heat safety continues to be an issue for workers on the shop floor. However, through organizing, they have made some gains. The Shop Floor Educators have won more fans in parts of the building like Small Sort, as well as an increased awareness of the issue. They have also provided an easy way to get involved.
As temperatures lower again in Colorado, the issue of heat safety will go on the back burner, but as Teamster Anthony Cole noted, “Heat safety has been a problem for a long time and will continue to be a problem in the future. The organizing done this summer paved the way for future fights for heat safety in the Denver UPS buildings.”