Delivery Drivers Share What It’s Like Delivering in Hazardous Wildfire Smoke
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/epvvv7/delivery-drivers-share-what-its-like-delivering-in-hazardous-wildfire-smoke
Package delivery drivers worked through the wildfire smoke in New York City on Wednesday, even as the air quality became "hazardous" in the afternoon and clouds of stinging yellow smog descended over the city. Drivers said that, despite the conditions outdoors, UPS did not change their hours or take any precautions to protect them from the smoke—not even providing masks.
“Normally during lunch, I open up my back door, I lay down. But today, the overwhelming smell of smoke literally kept me awake coughing,” said Dave Carew, a UPS driver with Teamsters Local 804, the branch of the union responsible for New York City, Long Island, and parts of New Jersey. “I have allergies too. So the last two days, my allergies have been off the charts. I've been talking to other drivers throughout the day, they're all coughing.”