No air conditioning at an Atlanta processing center
Employees at the U.S. Postal Service’s Atlanta Local Processing Center have been working without air conditioning for weeks, facing extreme heat conditions. Workers have expressed frustration and safety concerns, with inadequate cooling measures like fans and water bottles failing to alleviate the heat. The U.S. Postal Service acknowledged a mechanical malfunction in the air conditioning units but has not provided a timeline for repairs.
ATLANTA – Employees at the U.S. Postal Service’s Atlanta local processing center say they have been working without air conditioning for weeks, enduring sweltering conditions during some of the hottest days of July.
What we know:
The facility, located on Crown Road, has seen indoor temperatures soar in recent weeks as triple-digit heat indexes gripped the city. Workers say the lack of air conditioning inside the warehouse has left them overheated, frustrated, and concerned for their safety.
What they’re saying:
“We’re all in there just trying to survive,” said postal worker Natosha Johnson. “I worked at a couple other buildings, and I’ve never felt the level of heat in this building that I did at the others.”
Johnson said employees have repeatedly asked supervisors when the AC will be restored. “I have heard one supervisor in particular say, ‘If you don’t like the heat, then stay home or go home.’ And when you are talking about a person who has to provide for their household, we have single mothers that work there… it almost seems inhumane, and it seems as if they really do not care about their employees.”
Johnson shared photos showing water bottles and fans that have been set up around the facility. But she said those efforts are not enough.
“They have fans, they are stationed, but they only have them on one side of the building,” she said. “If you work on the other side of the building, you’re kind of on your own. Where you have to kind of bring your own fan and try to just make through… and even with the fans, it’s still just blowing around hot air within the building.”
Johnson said she is particularly worried about older and more vulnerable coworkers and believes the Postal Service should temporarily relocate operations to a facility with functioning air conditioning.
The other side:
The U.S. Postal Service confirmed to FOX 5 Atlanta that the center’s air conditioning units are experiencing what it called “a temporary mechanical malfunction.” However, officials have not said when the cooling systems will be repaired.
In a statement to FOX 5, the Postal Service said, “The U.S. Postal Service takes the safety and well-being of all employees and customers seriously. Regarding the Atlanta Local Processing Center (LPC) local management reports that some of the air conditioning units are experiencing a temporary mechanical malfunction. The local maintenance team has taken immediate steps to ensure the well-being and comfort of our employees. Local management has set up cooling stations and portable air conditioners and is distributing cold water. We value our employees and are working diligently to successfully resolve this situation as quickly as possible.”
What we don’t know:
When asked by FOX 5 when the repairs would be completed, the Postal Service declined to provide a timeline.
The Source: FOX 5’s Eric Mock spoke with postal worker Natosha Johnson for this article. The U.S. Postal Service supplied a statement about the issue.
