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In a letter, 4 San Antonio lawmakers criticized USPS for not offering water – regardless of triple digit highs persevering with to bake South Texas.
A bunch of San Antonio lawmakers is asking the U.S. Postal Service to elucidate why it is now not offering bottled water to Alamo Metropolis letter carriers regardless of the continued heatwave.
In a letter despatched Wednesday, U.S. Reps. Greg Casar, Joaquin Castro and Henry Cuellar — all San Antonio Democrats — and U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales — a Republican whose district contains a part of town — mentioned postal services right here as soon as offered water to staff however have since stopped for unknown causes.
“This warmth is especially harmful for letter carriers, who shouldn’t have air con of their automobiles and due to this fact endure even larger temperatures of their automobiles than open air,” the congressmen wrote of their letter to Postmaster Normal Louis DeJoy and San Antonio Postmaster Robert D. Carr.
“We ask that you just instantly create a plan to make sure letter carriers have entry to chilly water and are secure whereas on their routes.”
The letter continues: “With out entry to water bottles, letter carriers typically must cease at shops to purchase extra water and ice out of their very own pocket. Sadly, many letter carriers report they are often penalized for stopping to get extra water and ice to take a break whereas on their route,” the letter reads.
In an e mail to the Present, USPS San Antonio spokeswoman Becky Hernandez mentioned letter carriers ship the mail via a wide range of climate circumstances, together with excessive warmth. She added that USPS drivers are mandated to take part in a “Warmth Sickness Prevention Program,” however she did not deal with the particular considerations outlined within the letter.
Final month, San Antonio recorded a mean each day excessive of 100 levels, in line with the Categorical-Information. Nevertheless, temperatures inside USPS vehicles automobile attain far larger, in line with a quickly to be retired letter service who spoke to the coalition on the situation of anonymity.
“Postal administration has completely no concern for my nicely being — my postal truck reaches temperatures of 130 levels inside,” the postal employee mentioned, in line with the letter. “I really feel defeated, involved, and afraid of how the shortage of water and excessive circumstances I’m required to work are going to shorten my lifespan or have an effect on my high quality of life.”
Additional, letter carriers allege that they’re penalized for stopping at native shops to purchase water whereas working a route, the letter alleges.
The unrelenting warmth has already claimed the life of 1 USPS employee. In June, Dallas postal employee Eugene Gates Jr., 66 collapsed and died whereas working his route. His household has since mentioned they imagine Gates died of heat-related sickness, the Dallas Morning Information studies.
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