BONUS: Turning up the heat — on UPS
It was a brutally hot day in New York City last summer for Chris Cappadona, a UPS package car driver with no AC in his delivery truck. Early on his route, his hands started to lock up, and he found himself unable to breathe. Desperate, he jumped out of the back of his vehicle, but the hundred-plus-degree weather gave him no relief.
Thankfully, nearby sanitation workers saw him struggling, gave him water, and probably saved his life. Like many UPSers last summer, Cappadona was hospitalized for heatstroke.
In this first bonus episode of The Upsurge, we take you to a rally in Manhattan on February 10. There, New York lawmakers, joined by Teamsters and labor groups, introduced a bill that would protect workers like Cappadona from the dangerous working conditions caused by extreme temperatures – both cold and hot.
You'll hear from Cappadona himself, as well as Matt Leichenger, another UPSer who helped draw attention to the issue through organizing; Vinnie Perrone, president of Teamsters Local 804; and NY state senator Jessica Ramos, one of the politicians who introduced the bill.
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Hosted by Teddy Ostrow
Edited by Teddy Ostrow
Produced by NYGP & Ruby Walsh
Music by Casey Gallagher
Cover art by Devlin Claro Resetar
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