Unionized UPS workers vote to authorize a strike in high-stakes negotiations for a new contract
Unionized UPS workers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike on Friday, setting the stage for a potential work stoppage if the package delivery company and the Teamsters can’t come to an agreement on a new contract.
FLORIDA FILES: Listen to episode 3 of police shootout gone wrong
On Dec. 5, 2019, Frank Ordonez would go to work at UPS and never return home. He'd be taken hostage by two armed robbers and end up in the midst of a police shootout in Miramar Parkway. Richard Cutshaw would be driving home from work and he'd be caught in the crossfire and shot in the head while in his car. Hear the stories of what happened that day and where things stand 3 years later.
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EXPLAINER: How have storms affected COVID-19 vaccinations?
People wait in line for the opening of a 24-hour, walk-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic hosted by the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium at Temple University's Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, Friday, Feb. 19, 2021. Meanwhile, several states have complained about vaccination delays and have had to cancel appointments. Drug wholesaler McKesson, chosen by the federal government to distribute most COVID-19 vaccines, is handling shipments to hospitals and other medical providers. Moderna’s vaccine is shipped frozen, at minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit to 5 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 25 to minus 15 degrees Celsius). In Tennessee, the state’s health agency said distributors have been unable to pack and ship the COVID-19 vaccine this week due to the winter weather.
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Warrant: Co-worker confessed to fatally stabbing UPS driver
This undated photo of Elijah David Bertrand was provided by the Connecticut State Police, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020. The 19-year-old is a suspect in the assault on a UPS truck driver in Watertown, Conn. on Tuesday, Dec. 22. Bertrand was arraigned Thursday on murder charges, accused of killing UPS driver Nathan Burk, 28, of Waterbury. Dozens of Burk's loved ones and co-workers gathered outside the Watertown UPS facility Wednesday. He was such a good soul,” said Kerry Langdeau, of Waterbury, told the TV station.
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UPS driver dies after assault; co-worker taken into custody
This undated photo of Elijah David Bertrand was provided by the Connecticut State Police, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2020. The 19-year-old is a suspect in the assault on a UPS truck driver in Watertown, Conn. on Tuesday, Dec. 22. (Connecticut State Police via AP)WATERTOWN, Conn. – A UPS employee sought in a deadly assault on a co-worker was taken into custody Wednesday, Connecticut state police said. The two men apparently were riding in the same vehicle before the assault, Connecticut State Police Trooper Joseu Dorelus said at a news conference. State troopers initially responded to a call about an accident involving a UPS truck in Watertown around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
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Baptist Health South Florida continues vaccination campaign with new delivery from Moderna
DORAL, Fla. – Baptist Health South Florida’s vaccination campaign continued on Tuesday with supplies of both COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. UPS delivered the first shipments of the Moderna vaccine to Baptist Health on Monday and they are distributing it from a warehouse in Doral. Ron DeSantis said on Monday that the next phase of the state’s vaccination campaign will focus on long-term care facility residents and other people who are 65 and older. Related stories
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Correction: Virus Outbreak-Vaccine story
Correction: Virus Outbreak-Vaccine storyPublished: December 11, 2020, 9:30 pm Updated: December 14, 2020, 11:58 amFull Screen 1 / 7 The Pfizer Global Supply Kalamazoo manufacturing plant is shown in Portage, Mich., Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)WASHINGTON – In a story December 12, 2020, about COVID-19 vaccines, The Associated Press erroneously identified one of the companies involved in the initial rollout at nursing homes and assisted living centers. It is Walgreens, not Rite Aid. Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Family, friends meet at spot in Miramar where UPS driver was gunned down one year ago
MIRAMAR, Fla. – A large group of family members and friends arrived to a makeshift memorial on Saturday evening. “We feel the same as we did a year ago,” Ordonez’s father, Joe Merino, said. “I will never get back my son, but I want justice for my family and more importantly for his daughters. Adam Finkel is an attorney representing both the Ordonez and Cutshaw families. Ordonez’s family just wants to know something.
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SHIPPING DEADLINES: Send your gifts by these dates to make sure they arrive for the holidays
[MORE: These 3 apps will help you find the best holiday shopping deals, experts say | Doing a little online shopping? If you’re shipping gifts you want to arrive in time for Christmas, here are some recommended send-by dates for expected delivery by Dec. 25:USPS (excluding Alaska and Hawaii)Domestic Mail Class/Product Send-by Date USPS Retail Ground Service Dec. 15 First-Class Mail Service Dec. 18 Priority Mail Service Dec. 19 Priority Mail Express Service Dec. 23Click here for USPS holiday shipping dates for Alaska and Hawaii, military bases and overseas addresses. UPSShipping Option Send-by Date UPS Ground Dec. 15 UPS 3 Day Select Dec. 21 UPS 2nd Day Air Dec. 22 UPS Next Day Air Dec. 23Click here for more details on UPS holiday shipping. FedEx (U.S. to U.S.)Shipping Option Send-by Date FedEx SmartPost (certain exceptions apply) Dec. 9 FedEx Home Delivery Dec. 15 FedEx Ground Dec. 15 FedEx Express Saver Dec. 21 FedEx 3 Day Freight Dec. 21 FedEx 2 Day Dec. 22 FedEx 2 Day A.M. Dec. 22 FedEx 2 Day Freight Dec. 22 FedEx 1 Day Freight Dec. 23 FedEx Extra Hours Dec. 23 FedEx Standard Overnight Dec. 23 FedEx Priority Overnight Dec. 23 FedEx First Overnight Dec. 23 FedEx SameDay Dec. 25 FedEx SameDay City Priority Dec. 25 FedEx SameDay City Direct Dec. 25Click here to see last-day-to-ship dates if you’re planning to send gifts to Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico or other destinations. AmazonAmazon has not released its 2020 holiday shipping calendar, but last year, the company recommended buyers send products no later than Dec. 22 or Dec. 23 for a Dec. 25 arrival.
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Nearly a year after fatal police-involved shooting, families still need answers
MIRAMAR, Fla. – Saturday marks one year since a fatal shootout between law enforcement officers and two armed suspects. After the heist, Alexander and Hill are accused of using Ordonez’s UPS truck as a getaway vehicle for about 23 miles. (AP photo/Brynn Anderson)Since Cutshaw died, Thomas Cutshaw said his mother hasn’t been the same. Attorney Adam Finkel is representing both the Cutshaw and the Ordonez families. “The fact of the matter is until justice is achieved and these questions have answers, neither the Cutshaw nor Ordonez families will be able to get to this next step,” Finkel said.
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Fatal police shooting: Grieving families want bodycam video, officers' identities
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Frank Ordoñez’s daughters, ages 6 and 4, miss their dad. Lamar Alexander and Ronnie Hill targeted a jewelry store and kidnapped Ordoñez on Dec. 5 in Coral Gables to flee in his UPS truck. Frank Ordonez died Dec. 5, 2019 in a police-involved shooting after he was kidnapped while working as a UPS driver in Coral Gables. (Local 10 News)Ordoñez’s family and others have been asking six law enforcement agencies to release the identities and bodycam videos of the officers who fired their weapons during the shooting. (Local 10 News)The shooting on Miramar Parkway, just west of Flamingo Road, left Ordoñez, Alexander, Hill, and Rick Cutshaw dead.
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6 police agencies named in lawsuit over Miramar UPS truck driver shooting
On Thursday, Dec. 5, a holdup alarm was triggered about 4:15 p.m. at Regent Jewelers on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables. That’s when a chase ensued — with police following the suspects all the way from Miami-Dade to Broward County. It was revealed last March that at least 19 different officers from four different agencies all fired their weapons that day. On Wednesday, the family of Ordonez — along Lara — officially filed a lawsuit against the six police agencies their lawyers state were involved in the chase and the shootout that followed. The lawsuit names the Miami-Dade Police Department, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Highway Patrol and the Miramar, Doral and Pembroke Pines police departments.
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Vigil held on birthday of innocent UPS driver killed in crossfire between police and robbery suspects in Miramar last year
MIRAMAR, Fla. Emotions were high on Monday night in Miramar as the family of a UPS driver killed in a police-involved shooting gathered to mark what would have been the victim's birthday. On what wouldve been his 28th birthday, family members are remembering the life of Frank Ordoez, and too, his horrific death. A caring, responsible father who put his daughters first on everything, said Franks brother, Roy Ordoez. It set off a police pursuit that ended dozens of miles north, on Miramar Parkway, with a storm of bullets. Monday night, the late UPS drivers brother and father found support in friends and other families with loved ones killed in police involved shootings.
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’They murdered him:’ Family of UPS driver killed in shootout lashes out at police
’They murdered him:’ Family of UPS driver killed in shootout lashes out at policePublished: December 6, 2019, 1:06 pmWhile mourning his death, the family of the UPS driver killed in Thursday’s shootout in Miramar is also lashing out at police who they believe are responsible for the loss of life.
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Want your package to arrive by Christmas 2019? A guide to all your shipping deadlines
Postal ServiceDec. 14: USPS Retail Ground shipments ✅Dec. 18: Alaska to mainland First-Class Mail ✅Dec. 19: Hawaii to mainland First-Class Mail and Priority Mail, also Alaska Priority Mail ✅*There’s still time for dates below! Dec. 20: First-Class Mail ServiceDec. 21: Priority Mail; Also deadline for Alaska and Hawaii to the mainland through Priority Mail ExpressDec. 23: Priority Mail ExpressTrying to send something overseas or to a member of the military? Click or tap here to check out the guide we followed from USPS, and to learn more about your mailing specifics and guidelines. FedExDec. 9: SmartPost ✅Dec. 16: Ground and home delivery ✅Dec. 19: Express Saver ✅*There’s still time for the dates below! As for Amazon deadlines, you’re likely looking at Dec. 22 or Dec. 23, depending on if you’re a Prime member, where you live and what you’re ordering.

UPS says Jan. 2 will be its busiest day of year
Scott Olson/Getty Images(CNN) - UPS expects e-commerce shoppers to purchase and return more merchandise than ever this holiday season. By the week before Christmas, UPS forecasts it will deal with 1.6 million returns per day, with 1.6 million packages being returned each day during the week of Dec. 16. Returns season is expected to peak again on Jan. 2, known in the retail industry known as "National Returns Day." UPS said it expects to deal with 1.9 million returns on that on day alone -- a 26% increase from the previous year. High employment and economic performance numbers have fueled additional record-setting, e-commerce holiday sales figures over the last two years.

UPS uniforms are getting a redesign
(CNN) - UPS' familiar brown uniforms are getting their first major redesign since 1925. The fashion update will involve only new styles -- there will be no change to the uniform's ubiquitous brown color. Referring to its drivers as "industrial athletes," UPS said in a statement that the newly refreshed uniforms would improve their "comfort, safety and performance." The brown UPS baseball cap will be made from a "heat-regulating mesh material" instead of plastic. The redesigned uniforms are being phased in and are provided free of charge to employees.

Miami man claims porch pirate stole his identity
MIAMI - A South Florida man says a porch pirate got away with more than just a package. You can see the man outside the home's gate, walking up to a UPS delivery truck. He is able to get the UPS driver to give him the package before quickly leaving the area. "Someone apparently knew the delivery time and all that, and was here right before the UPS truck came," Reinol Hernandez said. "He went up to the UPS driver and requested that package.

2 men arrested in connection with armed robbery of UPS driver
EL PORTAL, Fla. - Two men have been arrested following the Aug. 16 armed robbery of a UPS driver in El Portal, authorities announced Wednesday. Police said the to-go bag could be seen in the video, as well as the handgun with an extended magazine as the UPS driver described. After further investigation by the El Portal Police Department, Miami Police Department and Miami-Dade Police Department, the suspects were taken into custody the night of Aug. 29, authorities said. "By the same token, the perseverance of the Miami Police Department, Miami-Dade Police Department and the El Portal Police Department brought two (and perhaps more.moving forward) to justice." He faces numerous charges, including armed robbery, armed burglary, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, unlawful possession of a stolen credit or debit card, fraudulent use of a credit card and grand theft of a firearm.

Next-day delivery pays off for UPS
Scott Olson/Getty Images(CNN) - Next-day delivery is becoming standard at Amazon and Walmart. Amazon recently expanded its next-day delivery for millions of its Prime customers. In response, Walmart now offers next-day delivery on a large number of items too. UPS said it plans grow its airplane fleet and modernize its delivery network to have a "have a positive impact on profitability." UPS is also rapidly expanding its network of package-drop-off points, its drone delivery unit and its delivery week.

UPS adds pickup spots at retailers, seeks to fly more drones
Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesNEW YORK - UPS is responding to the growth in online shopping and pressures for speedy delivery by seeking to expand its drone deliveries and adding thousands of new spots where customers can pick up packages. The Atlanta-based package delivery giant says it is adding 12,000 new package pickup locations inside CVS, The Michaels Co. and Advance Auto Parts stores. The new locations will bring to 21,000 the number of pickup points UPS has in the U.S. and to 40,000 globally. It also announced that starting Jan. 1 it will offer pickup and delivery services seven days a week, adding service on Sundays. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Absurdly fast shipping has a hidden cost
Following Amazon's rollout, Walmart unveiled free one-day shipping without a membership fee, and Target already had a free one-day program for its loyalty cardholders. That means consumers aren't feeling the true cost either environmental or financial of getting their e-commerce goods super quickly. "Prime Free One-Day is possible because we've been building our network for over 20 years," a spokesperson said in a statement. In general, it's very difficult to pin down the environmental impact of e-commerce, let alone how much of an effect delivery speed has on carbon emissions. If Amazon delivered everything in electric vehicles, one-day shipping might be just as climate-friendly as individual trips but in a recent big last-mile investment, Amazon ordered 20,000 conventionally-fueled delivery vans.