DALLAS — A United States Post Office letter carrier, Eugene Gates Jr., died this week while delivering mail in Dallas. The cause of his death is still unknown, but Gate's sudden passing is drawing attention to the working conditions of letter carriers.
Gates, 66, worked out of the Lakewood station. He joined USPS in November 1987. On Tuesday, in Northeast Dallas while walking door-to-door on his route, Gates collapsed on a neighbor's front yard on Ridgelawn Drive, according to the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 132. The resident attempted CPR and called 911. Gates died at the hospital.
The heat index was 113 degrees on Tuesday afternoon at about 3:00 p.m. when the incident happened.
Kimetra Lewis, President of NALC Branch 132, along with other sources, told WFAA that start times for letter carriers were originally 7:30 a.m. at the Lakewood Post Office, but it was recently changed to 8:30 a.m. due to lack of clerk staffing. Since two new clerks started, many letter carriers were hoping the 7:30 a.m. start would be reinstated.
The day after Gates' death, Lewis said USPS management agreed to resume the 7:30 a.m. start time on Saturday. Sources confirm it was announced on Thursday morning to letter carriers.
"But when I went [Friday], we had a balloon releasing ceremony for Eugene, and as soon as I walked in, [the steward] let me know that an announcement was made that they were not going to be able to start at 7:30 [a.m.], as promised," Lewis said.
Lewis said is disappointed by this.
Other sources confirmed with WFAA that this change was prematurely announced and then rescinded.
In addition to concerns over a late start time, Lewis was told the air conditioner was broken in Gates' USPS vehicle. She said letter carriers are responsible for reporting issues with their vans, so she is looking to see if there was a vehicle repair tag for the air conditioner.
Another concern the NALC has, she said, is the scanners letter carriers use to scan mail are being monitored for "stationary events". This means, when a carrier is idle for ten minutes, they will be asked for the reason. If the answer is not sufficient, Lewis said they will be disciplined. Lewis said she is hoping USPS management will give understanding and compassion to those who need a break on the hot summer days.
Lewis said she believes, if changes were made earlier, it could have changed Gates' fate.
In tears, she said, "He was at the end of his route. Had he started earlier, he would have already been finished."
She said she hopes changes will be made by the company moving forward to protect other letter carriers.
On Wednesday, WFAA reached out to the United States Postal Service. When asked about heat safety, USPS stated, "Our carriers deliver the mail throughout the year during varying temperatures and climatic conditions. This includes during the summer months when the temperatures rise throughout the country. The safety of our employees is a top priority, and the Postal Service has implemented a national Heat Illness Prevention Program (HIPP) for all employees. In connection with the HIPP, the Postal Service provides mandatory heat-related and other safety training and instruction to all employees and assures they have the resources needed to do their jobs safely.”
Other questions to USPS were not answered as of Friday evening.