UPS Allegedly Sending Drivers Out in Hurricane Evacuation Zone: 'Insane'

As Hurricane Ian begins to pummel Florida, a labor activist has raised the alarm for UPS workers who were allegedly sent to work in mandatory evacuation zones.

Jonah Furman, an activist with the media and organizing project Labor Notes, tweeted a photo of a UPS package placed over six sandbags protecting a door on Tuesday. The image has racked up 7,400 likes and over 1,000 retweets.

"This is insane. UPS has drivers delivering packages in a mandatory hurricane evacuation zone in Florida," said Furman. "These workers should be given time to prepare for the storm and get out of town, not delivering boxes that are going to get washed away."

Hurricane Ian has intensified to a Category 4 storm—just shy of Category 5, with maximum wind speeds of 155 miles per hour—as it moves in on Florida's west coast. Stormy conditions, flooding and widespread power outages have already been reported in several counties.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said more than 2.5 million Floridians were ordered to flee by Tuesday evening, as the state braces for "catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge." Officials have warned that it could be one of the worst hurricanes Florida has ever seen.

This chart, provided by Statista, shows the number of recorded hurricanes making landfall in the continental United States since 1851, by strength.

A UPS spokesperson told Newsweek, "We are following local evacuation orders, securing our facilities and enabling our employees to secure their homes and keep their families safe. We also have been working to safely meet our service commitments in advance of mandatory evacuations by implementing contingency plans so that shipments arrive at their final destinations as quickly as possible."

On its website, UPS listed postal codes where pickups and deliveries are canceled on Wednesday.

In a now-deleted tweet that was screenshot by various users, a UPS representative appeared to misunderstand Furman's alarm.

"Hi Jonah! I'm sorry to know that you are having problems with the delivery of your package," said the company's Twitter reply. "Please provide me with the tracking number, address, name, and phone number on the package via DM and I will be happy to further assist you."

Controversy swirled around UPS working conditions this summer, as drivers continued to work during record-breaking heat waves, often in trucks without proper cooling mechanisms.

In July, Ring doorbell footage captured a driver collapsing on a porch while making a delivery in Scottsdale, Arizona, on a 110-degree day. A UPS spokesperson told Newsweek that the driver ended up "fine" and said the company's employees are "trained to work outdoors and for the effects of hot weather."

Afterward, other UPS drivers circulated photos of the blistering temperatures inside their vans, with thermometer readings over 130 degrees.

"UPS CEOs would never accept working in 120 or 130-degree offices," said a tweet from Teamsters for a Democratic Union. "Drivers shouldn't have to either."

Updated 09/28/2022, 2:52 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with comments from a UPS spokesperson.