LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Some Louisville UPS workers protested Friday, saying they've been forced to work overtime hours in the excessive heat.
"It is up to you to say 'not on my watch will I deplete my health so my family has to suffer.' You get to stop it. You get to be the one," said one of the speakers at a UPS facility on Bluegrass Parkway.
Teamsters Local 89 members said UPS repeatedly forces its drivers to work up to 12-hour days multiple times a week -- even with heat indexes reaching 104 degrees. The union said UPS trucks frequently reach over 120-degrees, but the company has not installed air conditioning, which they say creates dangerous conditions.
Meanwhile, UPS said it is taking steps to fix the issues.
"UPS and the Teamsters agreed on several ways to keep drivers safe in the heat. We're installing air conditioning in all-new delivery vehicles and adding them as quickly as possible. In addition to that, our delivery vehicles now have two fans, vents and heat shields to lower the internal temperatures," said UPS spokesperson Becca Hunnicutt.
UPS also said it offers a heat-safety training program for its employees and has distributed over one million pieces of cooling gear, water jugs, and ice to help lower body temperature.
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