Last week, WSWS reporters spoke with Tour 2 and Tour 3 workers outside the Morgan Processing and Distribution Center in New York City about the death of a fellow postal worker. The worker has now been identified as Lucy Diaz, who died on November 6 while working Tour 1.

No facility-wide notification or explanation was issued following Diaz’s death, forcing workers to piece together information through word of mouth and private social media posts. Diaz was a sorter with 28 years of service. She operated the Automated Package Processing System (APPS) machine.

Diaz’s death occurred inside one of the largest facilities operated by the United States Postal Service, a major processing hub serving the New York metropolitan area, including Wall Street and surrounding financial districts.

Both the United States Postal Service and the unions representing Morgan workers—the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and the National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU)—have so far said nothing about the circumstances of this tragedy.

When our reporters raised the question of a facility-wide meeting to address the death, workers across multiple tours agreed that a meeting would be important to clarify what had happened. One worker said, “Everyone should know about the death of a fellow employee.”

A supervisor at Morgan acknowledged knowing that a worker named Lucy had died but said he could not provide details on the status of any investigation. He told the WSWS that the inquiry appeared to be delayed because officials believed “something was being hidden,” but offered no explanation of what that meant or who was responsible.

Workers raised serious concerns about staffing levels and medical preparedness inside the facility. One worker said, “I had a coworker who was told by a supervisor to do the work that three people normally do. She didn’t know and was trying to do it. She fainted and called out afterward.”

Another worker described the isolation faced by employees working near automated equipment. “You wonder how much work the APPS 2 machine operator was being forced to do,” the worker said. “Although nobody makes this clear to you, you do have the right to leave.”

Others explained that workers assigned to APPS machines can be left alone for extended periods without supervision or immediate assistance. “Somebody should have found the APPS 2 machine operator who died,” one worker said. “There are three people in the front of that machine and three people in the back. If she was working there, she would have been seen. But if she was just pushing a button to deposit packages, she could have been by herself. In that case, she could have been left alone for a long time.”

Workers told the WSWS there is no nurse on staff at Morgan. One said, “I don’t think people who have health problems are treated well here. They don’t get proper medical attention if they have problems on the job.”

Several workers recalled prior incidents at the facility involving serious medical emergencies or deaths that were never formally explained. A five-year mail handler said, “This is not the first time this has happened. I know someone died when they passed out and their head was busted open. It was on the third floor.”

Another worker said, “Last year there was an older guy who died sleeping in the cafeteria. A lot of us sleep when we get a chance, and I thought that was what he was doing. The next day, I found out he died.”

The lack of answers surrounding Diaz’s death mirrors a broader pattern at USPS facilities nationwide. On November 8, maintenance mechanic Nick Acker was killed inside a mail-sorting machine at the Detroit Network Distribution Center in Michigan. One week later, Russell Scruggs Jr., a mail handler assistant, died after falling and hitting his head at the Palmetto Processing and Distribution Center in Georgia. In each case, union officials deferred to management-led or OSHA investigations, which workers say have repeatedly failed to provide transparency or accountability.

In the case of Diaz’s death, workers at Morgan said investigations conducted by Occupational Safety and Health Administration are typically carried out behind closed doors, without worker participation, and often conclude months later without meaningful findings.

Through discussions with our reporters, Morgan workers have begun raising critical questions about the circumstances surrounding their coworker’s death. Clarifying what happened—and preventing future tragedies—will require workers themselves to come forward, share information, and collectively establish the facts.

1. Was Lucy Diaz’s death work-related, and what duties was she performing at the time?

2. Was she working overtime or under unusual workload pressures on November 6?

3. Did she report feeling unwell prior to her death or seek medical assistance while on the job?

4. What staffing conditions and supervision were in place in the area where she was working?

5. What emergency response protocols were followed, and how long did it take for assistance to arrive?

Postal workers with information about the death of Lucy Diaz or other unsafe conditions at the Morgan facility are urged to come forward and contact the World Socialist Web Site. All submissions will be kept anonymous. Workers can also contact the Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee, which has called for independent, worker-led investigations into recent USPS deaths to determine responsibility and enforce safe working conditions under workers’ control.