Amazon delivery drivers in Southern California are on indefinite strike over the massive corporation’s refusal to ensure safe working conditions in extreme heat. The 84 drivers, employed by a third-party delivery contractor, joined the International Brotherhood of Teamsters on April 24 and have been on strike since June 24. “Sometimes it reaches 135 degrees in the rear of the truck and there’s no cooling system,” Raj Singh, one of the drivers, told Grist. “It feels like an oven when you step back there. You instantly start feeling woozy, and it’s gotten to the point where I’ve actually seen stars.”
Mail delivery personnel are especially vulnerable to extreme heat, and Amazon’s use of third-party delivery contractors it can fire with virtually no warning or explanation make unionizing and improving working conditions especially difficult. “Amazon sets these ridiculous paces. Some people even have to miss their guaranteed 15-minute breaks, because if we break the pace, they contact us to try and find out why we’re behind,” Singh said. “We’re here so we can have fair pay and safe jobs … not just for us but for every delivery driver that works for Amazon.” (Grist, Climate Signals background: Extreme heat and heatwaves)