Hello All,

 Since, more, and more drivers/ Family members are speaking out, I  want to share their stories here. With the consent of those involved, please read the attached letter. No one can share the truth better than the ones experiencing the suffering at the hands of UPS. 

Richard Hooker Jr. 

This letter is from the fiance of one of my members.
Families all across this country feel the same way she feels.
They do not want their loved ones dying in a package car or in a warehouse.
Our families, nor our members want to hear about "cool solutions", they want to see something done.
There are no "cool solutions" to dying on a package car or in the warehouse.

August 5, 2022 

  Dear UPS Center Managers and Supervisors,

My name is Rachael Langi, And I Am the fiance of one of your drivers. I know you do not know me, nor do I you;  however, I have a serious concern that I would like to address. I am fully aware of the harassment and retaliation that will ensue to the truth this letter will expose, and that is why I have chosen to withhold the name of my driver. While this letter comes to you in my own words, I speak in support of ALL UPS drivers and their families. It is about time that someone speaks up for these unappreciated workers.

On Thursday, August 4, 2022, my daughter was admitted to Nemours Duport Children's Hospital in Delaware. She was scheduled for heart surgery that morning. We are fortunate that she is ok and that the procedure went well. 

You probably wonder why I'm telling you such personal information, but I have an excellent reason.

  August 4 was the HOTTEST day of the year to date. Temperatures soared to a record index of 110 DEGREES outside the truck, not to mention the BACK of the truck ran an ADDITIONAL 25 +degrees WITHOUT ventilation. It was also a day my daughter and I could have used all the emotional support we could get. We understood that our UPS driver couldn't call out in the middle of the week, on the hottest day of the year, without pay, but I promised to keep him updated.

We also couldn't have many people at the hospital due to Covid. So he went to work in the hopes of finishing at a reasonable hour that day. Reporting to work is not the issue here; my fiance' has a job as do I, and we take our responsibilities in the workplace seriously. However, as you can imagine he had a lot on his mind that day.  When I spoke to him that morning to update him, he told me he would be out very late because of the amount of work on his truck.

With it being so hot, I was very worried, but my attention was on my daughter, who was in the OR getting prepped for a 4-hour surgery.

As the day went on, I checked in on him and updated him on the two breaks he gets.  It was the second call that afternoon. I became enraged. With all that he was dealing with mentally and the physical strain of the oppressive heat, he was RELENTLESSLY being attacked by you and your SUPERVISORS.

He was out in unbearable HEAT, with a lot weighing on his mind, and all you cared about was his ETA. This is not the first time this has happened, in the past month alone. As, a customer and a family member of a UPS employee, I find it horrific and unethical. No human being should treat another human being that way. Especially, when you are making calls and sending messages from your air-conditioned offices.

You should be embarrassed and ashamed. I'm not sure you have a family of your own, but I'm sure you have people you care about and love deeply. Would you be ok having your loved ones treated the way supervisors and bosses treat their employees?

I am writing this letter to remind you that these drivers are humans. They are people with families and kids. They go through things you couldn't even imagine.

You treat them like robots, and your supervisors almost enjoy harassing them daily. The work conditions you allow the drivers to work in are inhumane.

At times, the work conditions are that of a third-world country. May I suggest you take a ride with one of your drivers? Wear a dark Brown uniform that feels like cardboard and drive around with the driver. Get in the back of that truck at 110 degrees + to find that package that needs to be delivered. See if you can do that in a reasonable time frame according to UPS standards. 

The purpose of my letter is to remind you that these men and women are PEOPLE.  They have feelings that have lives. They report to work and go out to do the best job for a company that could care less about them.  As a boss, you have a moral obligation to make sure your employees look forward to coming to work in a safe and productive environment. These guys are the most hard-working people I know. 

I'm sure this letter will probably get tossed in the nice metal trash can that sits in the corner of your air-conditioned office next to your fresh cold water cooler. However, I implore you to take my words into serious consideration. These men and women deserve to be respected. 

I'm going out on a limb here, and assume that you have a heart and some morality.  If so, you should think about how can I fix this. Let me give you some advice from someone who manages employees to another. I have broken down the information into bullet points, so my message is clear and concise.

1) Treat your drivers like humans, not robots. They may not matter to you, but they matter to us, their families, their children the people who love and need them. Not, a day goes by that I don't worry about my UPS driver. Not a summer day goes by that I don't anticipate a phone call he has passed out on the side of the road from a heatstroke.  This is a toxic environment UPS has created. I challenge you to take a long look at yourself and the role you play as Center Director, hopefully, you will see the urgency of this matter. Without it, you wouldn't have a job. Stop harassing them. Understand this heat is deadly, and your expectations in this unprecedented weather are unrealistic.

2) Instead of driving around harassing the drivers, maybe go around with ice, and freshwater.  Maybe, simply check on them to make sure they are ok. Imagine what a small venture like that would do for Morale.  As, a strong leader, you are tasked with bringing out the best in your team, not breaking them down daily. 

3) Finally, and perhaps most important. GET some damn VENTILATION in the back of these trucks. If not, get rid of the air conditioning in your offices.   

I will leave you with these last final words. A person who feels respected, and appreciated will always do more than expected.  Change your approach, and I guarantee your center will be a healthier place for your employees and you. 

Respectfully, 

Ms. Rachael M Langi.