this post was submitted on 01 Sep 2023
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Antiwork

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A 57-year-old UPS driver in Texas died after collapsing in the heat while making deliveries (www.msn.com)
submitted 1 year ago by queermunist@lemmy.ml to c/antiwork@lemmy.ml
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Following months of negotiations with Teamsters, UPS announced in June that it would install air conditioning in new trucks starting next year. The company said it would send new trucks to the hottest parts of the country first, if possible. The company also said it would retrofit its existing package cars with cab fans, exhaust heat shields, and cargo area ventilation.

"While these improvements will make a difference in the months and years ahead, we had to fight like hell to secure them," the Teamsters union said in its social media post Thursday. "Chris Begley should still be alive to experience them. All companies, including UPS, need to remember that their past failings to protect workers can have deadly serious consequences in the future."

Chris Bagley should still be alive and it's a damn shame the Teamsters failed to protect him from social murder. Only new trucks? Only next year? They drove trucks without fans, heat shields, and ventilation? What the fuck.

The Teamsters could have, at the very least, demand a total halt on driving trucks without fucking fans. "Oh but that'll cause package delays!" Well I guess we just have to murder drivers for the sake of logistics.

If anyone tells me how great and historic the new contract is one more fucking time I'll fucking lose it.

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[–] ZzyzxRoad@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So UPS will only put ac in new trucks, sometime next year, and possibly get them to the hottest parts of the country, and old trucks will get "cabin fans" (?).

I know negotiations must be really difficult. I know everyone is relying on their jobs and paychecks to survive. But it seems like too often these corporations get away with half measures and vague promises because even when we revoke our labor, they're still the ones in control. Workers from a company like UPS seem like they should have more control than most though. Shutting down deliveries across the US indefinitely is a pretty big threat. So maybe they could have gotten better results.

[–] irmoz@reddthat.com 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The responsibility ultimately lies with UPS, though

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The union has a responsibility to protect workers from UPS.

[–] phillaholic@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

No, they have a responsibility to fight for protections for workers. They can’t implement it, UPS has too. Put your emphasis on UPS.

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

A responsibility they failed because they gave up the fight instead of striking.

[–] phillaholic@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Again, it’s UPS fault ultimately. It’s absurd to blame the union for not forcing UPS to do something over UPS not doing it in the first place.

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The union exists to force the company to do anything in the first place! That's their only job! If UPS murders drivers it's because the union didn't strike and force them to stop.

More drivers will die because they didn't strike and force UPS to make its fleet safe.

[–] phillaholic@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You’re blaming the Union for UPS killing drivers.

Take a step back and think about that.

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm blaming the union for not striking.

[–] phillaholic@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why do they need to strike in the first place? Because of UPS. You're falling into the trap.

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What trap? You said it yourself, they need to strike.

And they didn't.

[–] phillaholic@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They needed to strike in the first place because UPS was doing something wrong. You're not putting your emphasis on the ultimate party that is in the wrong. You're attacking the middleman which is the only reason the workers have any power at all. Either you're falling for the trap like UPS and other big businesses want you to, or you're anti-union and are arguing in bath faith.

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm attacking class collaborators for getting a bad deal when they could have fought for a better one.

Don't act like unions have to be above criticism. They need to be critiqued so they can improve.

[–] phillaholic@lemm.ee 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They aren't above criticism, they are above blame when the Employer is to blame. If you can be confused for Anti-Union, your tactics need to change. This is the exact garbage being pushed to spread apathy to workers forming unions. Teamsters got a lot for UPS drivers.

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

They share the blame when they collaborate with the employer and act as the company's PR and HR departments.

The anti-union and splitter interpretation of this reality is that this is a reason to not join the union or to form a splitter org (with blackjack and hookers etc), but I think it's the opposite; this is a reason to agitate the union membership to transform it from within and to push the union to abandon class collaboration. It's still a labor organization even if it is captured by corporate and nationalist interests. Unlike idiots who think the Democratic Party can be changed from within, there's historical and materialist foundation for this tactic. The union needs to be taken back, not abandoned.

You can't just ignore the fact that the union leadership pushed for a bad contract. Nor can you ignore the fact that every other interested party, from the corporate media to the literal President of the US, pushed for this contract.

Critical support, not blind support.

[–] irmoz@reddthat.com 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This comment acknowledges that UPS is doing the oppression, yet still somehow blames someone else

Amazing

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago

The Teamsters share the blame for selling out instead of striking for safe working conditions. Deal with it.