Our Teamster contract requires UPS to provide water and ice for every Teamster, including part-timers and inside workers. Management may pay lip service, but they don’t care about us or our safety.

It’s up to us as union members to enforce our contract. Here are some steps to take to make management honor the contract. 

1. Identify the problems.

Is the ice machine broken? Does it always run out of ice before the day sort gets in? Are there not enough water fill stations? Use the Teamster heat safety audit to identify the problems. Report them to your shop steward and business agent.

2. Document the violations and establish a paper trail.

Put the issue on your building’s safety log and follow up in writing with the safety committee.

3. Ask management to fix the problem.

For a broken or dirty ice machine, or a drinking fountain that doesn’t work, ask management to fix the equipment and tell them they need to supply the building with water and ice in the meantime. Write down the date of the conversation and management’s response.

4. File a grievance.

If management stonewalls, file a grievance. This is our safety at stake. 

5. Involve other members.

Work with your shop steward and business agent to turn up the heat on management. You can collect signatures on a petition or group grievance and deliver it to management together. If UPS keeps stonewalling, we can organize a parking lot rally and contact the media.  

UPS management knows their obligations under the contract from water to ice to heat safety breaks. Let’s work together to hold the company accountable and protect each other!