Minneapolis Teamsters fight for safety in summer heat

Minneapolis – Local 638 Teamsters tabled at the northeast Minneapolis UPS hub on Thursday, July 3. They distributed flyers on heat safety and union contract enforcement.

Drivers coming in, and warehouse workers leaving for the day, stopped to learn about their rights, grab some lemonade, and share experiences as temperatures reached the 90-plus range in Minneapolis. Inside the warehouse and inside package cars, temperatures are regularly five to ten degrees higher for workers.

As the result of a months-long contract campaign and credible strike threat in 2023, UPS workers won strong contract language. This requires UPS to install 2500 new water fountains, 18,000 new warehouse fans, and 28,000 new or replacement delivery vehicles equipped with air conditioning over the life of the five-year contract.

As of July 2025, the company has delivered next to zero of these AC-equipped vehicles. Beyond these hard-fought victories, UPS is now required to provide adequate access to ice by delivery or ice machine. Another crucial win was the right to cool-down breaks whenever a union member feels the heat puts them at risk of injury.

Even in Minnesota, as summertime rolls around, UPS warehouses and delivery trucks become dangerously hot and humid. Management-by-stress and harassment tactics are used by supervisors to intimidate employees into working at a dangerous pace and prevent workers from taking breaks. Many rank-and-file Teamsters at UPS have been fighting back to enforce their contact wins and fight for safety in the summer heat.

Siobhan Moore, a Teamster and union steward on the preload shift, reported, “UPS pays lip service to heat safety while forcing drivers out for long days in furnace-like package cars without AC. Complaints of poorly functioning fans from inside workers are regularly ignored. Last summer we fought and won the installation of fans on the box lines, but the fight goes on. We won’t back down from enforcing our contract and ensuring the safety of our fellow workers.”

The rank-and-file Teamsters tabled to educate fellow union members on contract enforcement and heat safety rights. They want Teamsters to stand up together. Organized workers can fight to protect their right to safety and dignity in the workplace, forcing UPS to follow the contract.

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