About 30 protesters stood and sat on Eubanks Road outside of the UPS Monday evening. They were hot, and they were tired but they continued to wave signs at and chant to passersby and cars.

They’re protesting what they say is the mistreatment and discrimination against the employees of UPS. One of those protesters is Lucy Lewis. She’s a member of the Labor Committee of the Chapel-Hill Carrboro NAACP. She said UPS has created a hostile work environment for the elderly and for people of color.

“This is not the kind of workplace we want in our local community,” Lewis said. “We want a workplace where workers can be treated fairly.”

Reverend Robert Campbell is the President of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro chapter of the NAACP. He also said the conditions are unfair, but not only at the Chapel Hill UPS location.

“We will be going to Durham,” he said. “We will be going to Morrisville. And there will be other locations that we will be going to.”

Campbell said the local branch of the NAACP wants to have a sit-down with the management at these UPS stores to come to an agreement.

“They need to have quarterly, monthly meetings with the workers and the management to resolve these issues that come forth every week, every month,” he said. “There are people who have filed over 100 grievances that have been fired and re-hired, fired and re-hired.”

Minister and NAACP member Michelle Laws gets ready to speak at the UPS Protest on Eubanks Road. Via Steph Beckett

Minister and NAACP member Michelle Laws gets ready to speak at the UPS Protest on Eubanks Road. Via Steph Beckett

Minister and NAACP member Michelle Laws also attended the protest. She said many of the UPS workers have also had to work overtime without proper compensation.

“How on one hand can you say that America is great, but to hell with the workers who are making it great?”She said.

Until UPS agrees to have the sit-down, protester and NAACP labor committee member Lucy Lewis says she and everyone else will continue to fight.

“I’ve met with these workers a number of times over the last year and everything I’ve heard has made me more determined to be here today,” she said.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP said they will pursue legal action if UPS declines a meeting.