SAN ANTONIO — The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating a string of heat-related illnesses among United States Postal Office (USPS) workers in San Antonio.
Homer Hernandez is the president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Alamo Branch 421, which represents about 1,300 mail carriers.
“We had seven dehydrations this year,” said Hernandez. “Two people ended up in the hospital.”
Hernandez says nothing has changed since last August when postal workers rallied for better working conditions.
“It’s not that USPS couldn’t afford bottled water, but they took the bottled water away from us at the time when it was mostly extreme heat,” he said. “So, we rallied to bring some attention to USPS and the postmaster in San Antonio.”
One year later, Hernandez says letter carriers are not given bottled water and most of the USPS delivery trucks don’t have air conditioning.
“That’s the biggest question: why isn’t there AC?” asked Hernandez. “They are already coming out with new trucks with AC, but they are up there in Georgia and probably in West Virginia. Here in San Antonio, which is probably the hottest in the country, we can’t even get an AC truck.”
After a string of injuries, OSHA was called to investigate.
“They clocked [one delivery truck] at 132 degrees inside the vehicle, and it was only 92 degrees that day,” said Hernandez. “So, imagine now and next week when it’s going to be over 100 degrees, it will probably be 145 degrees [in the trucks]. Our carriers are so intimidated to call in that they are being dehydrated.”
In a letter from the U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA investigators found San Antonio mail carriers who reported heat injuries received a questionnaire titled “Pre-Disciplinary Interview.”
According to investigators, USPS led employees to believe they would be punished for reporting heat injuries.
"We are afraid to say anything in order not to lose our jobs,” said Hernandez. “We are treated like second-class citizens. While our postmaster and area mangers are eating at nice restaurants and drinking cold water, we are out there drinking hot water and dehydrating.”
The Department of Labor threatened legal action against the USPS Serna Post Office. In the letter, an administrator for the whistleblower protection programs issued the following demands:
- Stop using the “Pre-Disciplinary Interview” questionnaire when addressing an employee’s report of heat-related injury
- Develop a questionnaire for employees who report heat-related issues that is titled in a manner that does not mention or lead employees to believe they could suffer discipline
- Post in a prominent place a copy of the ‘Statement of Rights’
- Confirm in writing that the postmaster, managers and supervisors for the Serna Post Office understand the prohibitions on retaliation and discrimination
Hernandez says it’s a start, but he is fighting for air-conditioned delivery trucks and bottled water provided by USPS.
“The postmaster of San Antonio and the area managers are playing with our lives and they need to stop,” said Hernandez. "Because we’re not going to stop.”
In the Meantime, local Congressman Greg Casar is tackling the issue nationally. On Thursday, he sent a letter to USPS pressuring the federal agency to implement OSHA’s first-ever heat rule. It would require USPS to provide water, air conditioning and rest breaks when temperatures exceed 80 degrees. 74 members of congress signed the letter.
UPDATE: Since this publication, USPS provided a statement.
“In July of this year, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued an unofficial version of a proposed rule on Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Settings," said a spokesperson for USPS. "After publication, a formal rulemaking will ensue during which the Postal Service, along with any other impacted employers, will be afforded an opportunity to provide substantive comments to OSHA setting forth concerns and recommended changes to the proposed rule.
The Postal Service Heat Illness Prevention Program (HIPP) includes numerous provisions designed to protect postal employees from heat related issues. Pursuant to the HIPP, the Postal Service provides mandatory heat-related and other safety training and instruction to all employees and assures they have the resources and information needed to do their jobs safely. Carriers are consistently reminded to ensure they are fully hydrated, wear appropriate clothing, including hats, get in the shade whenever possible, and take enough water and ice with them out on their routes. Carriers are further instructed to contact 9-1-1 in the event they begin experiencing any symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, and they are provided information to help them identify the symptoms associated with these two forms of heat illness. All carriers are advised to take rest breaks as needed during hot weather.
The Postal Service looks forward to working with all stakeholders regarding the health and safety of all postal employees.”