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The tragic death of another delivery driver in Texas has once again brought to light the issue of heat safety in the Lone Star State. On May 30th, truck driver Valeriano Otoniel Ludena Melendrez was found dead inside his delivery truck in Dallas, Texas. Temperatures across the state topped the 100-degree mark that day, according to the National Weather Service. It had been just over a month since the death of 26-year-old delivery driver Christian Enrique Moncada, who died after suffering from a heat stroke in San Antonio.
Moncada’s death spurred outrage and protests from delivery workers, immigrant rights advocates, and labor organizers, who say regulations to protect delivery workers from extreme heat are desperately needed. Last month, a crowd assembled at the Texas Capitol to demand greater protections for delivery drivers, who are often required to work in sweltering temperatures for hours at a time in inadequate, unsanitary, and dangerous conditions.
Although some cities and states have implemented protections for delivery workers, the Texas Legislature has yet to follow suit. Until something changes, the workers risking their lives in the searing Texas heat will continue to be vulnerable.