UPS to get air-conditioned trucks for delivery drivers

WASHINGTON — UPS announced a tentative deal on Wednesday with Teamsters union leaders to finally address delivery drivers' concerns with extremely hot temperatures.

The deal would require the nation's largest package carrier to have air conditioning in delivery vehicles purchased after Jan. 1, 2024, including its iconic brown truck, which makes up the majority of the company's 93,000-vehicle fleet. 

“Air conditioning is coming to UPS, and Teamster members in these vehicles will get the relief and protection they’ve been fighting for,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in the statement. "Today’s progress was a significant step towards a stronger new reality for so many workers and their families.”

The union also negotiated to add cab fans to all package cars as well as heat shields. Already existing delivery trucks and vans will be fitted with "air induction systems," which would help relieve high temperatures in the back of the vehicles. 

Heat-related concerns have been at the top of many UPS workers' complaints as temperatures continue to rise across the nation. In recent years, more than 100 UPS workers have been hospitalized for heat-related illnesses, NBC News reported.

The tentative agreement aims to stop a potential nationwide strike amid an ongoing strike authorization vote from union workers. The results of the union's vote will be released on Friday. 

An overwhelming approval to strike wouldn't exactly mean workers would walk off the job but instead gives union leaders more leverage in negotiation talks. A strike from UPS workers, which could happen any time after the July 31 deadline for current contracts, would be the largest single-employer strike in U.S. history, according to NBC News. 

"We have always remained open to solutions that keep our employees safe on hot days. The Teamsters raised A/C as a top priority for their members, and the new solutions we’ve agreed to will improve airflow, temperature and comfort for our employees," UPS said in a statement.

UPS said that the new air-conditioned delivery cars will come to the "hottest parts of the country first."