According to Kemitra Lewis, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers’ Branch 132, Jacob Taylor’s commitment to his work as a mail carrier is evident in his stories.
Although the cause of Taylor’s death and the incident are still being investigated, Lewis stated that this should serve as a wake-up call to the challenges that postal workers encounter on a regular basis.
The event took place on Saturday afternoon in Dallas, in the 2200 block of Medical District Drive. A resident saw 51-year-old Jacob Taylor collecting mail from his vehicle when he collapsed, according to a social media post by Lewis, who is also a member of Concerned Letter Carriers in Dallas.
Witnesses reported seeing Taylor collapse, and Dallas Fire Rescue verified that they were called to the scene at 4:30 p.m. regarding an unconscious person on Medical District Drive.
According to an incident record from the fire department, the patient received CPR, but the hospital declared him dead.
“This incident feels eerily familiar,” Lewis remarked. It occurs about two years after Eugene Gates Jr., a 66-year-old mail carrier, passed away while traveling through Dallas during a heat index that hit 113 degrees.
Lewis claimed that her coworkers were devastated to learn of Taylor’s passing.
Lewis remarked, “It’s been really hard, and it’s like deja vu all over again.” “I know it was hot that day, a very hot day, but I’m not positive if heat was the cause of death.”
In response to inquiries regarding Taylor’s passing, the USPS issued the following statement:
“The Postal Service is still investigating this incident, and we have no comment at this time.”
After Gates passed away in 2023, OSHA suggested fining the USPS $15,625 for the incident. The postal service allegedly failed to safeguard employees from “the recognized hazard of high outdoor heat, including high temperature, high humidity, and direct sun exposure” on June 20, the day Gates passed away, according to the OSHA complaint.
Gates, 66, passed away from heart problems and the heat, according to an autopsy.
In the months after Gates’ passing, his widow, Carla Gates, made statements.
“Knowing that my husband is not here is really difficult,” she remarked.
Carla Gates claimed that her husband warned her about the heat and advised her to use cautious when she was outside in the final hours before he passed away. She expressed her displeasure with OSHA’s recommendation at the time.
That isn’t anything. That’s unfair to my husband and a slap in the face to me,” she remarked. It caused me to feel ill. I’m not the kind of person who gets upset, but I felt upset and sad.
Crocket and other Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee want a hearing on working conditions for US Postal Service employees in December 2023.
The U.S. Postal Service committed to send more air-conditioned vehicles to Texas under pressure from Congresswoman Jasmine Crocket.
Almost a year after Gates’ passing, in March 2024, Crocket made an appearance.
“I believe it is my responsibility as a sitting member of Congress to ensure that I continue to tell his story and to exert pressure on an agency that I technically oversee,” Crockett stated. “Talking about trucks with air conditioning in 2024 is crazy.”
Lewis stated that she is looking for answers regarding Taylor’s. She also wants accountability if needed.
He received accolades from my [office] steward. He claimed to be among the best employees in that office, she remarked. “When people see a letter carrier smiling while delivering the mail, they fail to realize that there are numerous risks involved.”
Lawmakers voiced dissatisfaction with the US Postal Service’s delivery, safety, and financial performance during a Government Operations Committee hearing this week as part of the agency’s 10-year “Delivering for America” plan.
