The International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC) has called for an independent investigation, led by rank-and-file workers, into the recent deaths of US Postal Service workers Nick Acker, 36, in the Detroit area and Russell Scruggs, Jr., 44, near Atlanta. We urge postal workers to come forward with information about safety conditions at their facilities by filling out the form at the end of this article. All submissions will be kept anonymous.

On the morning of April 22, 2024, the United States Postal Service (USPS) distribution center in Forest Park, Illinois, was the site of a devastating workplace tragedy.

Keywan Glenn, a dedicated 44-year-old postal clerk who had previously worked at the Chicago Transit Authority, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest while on the job. His death, and the circumstances leading up to it, expose conditions of extreme workplace stress and—along with many other tragic deaths—the systemic failure of emergency response within USPS facilities.

Keywan Glenn was the father of four girls and one boy: Kayla, Savannah, Kailani, Amara, and Keywan Lontee Glenn Jr., who was born after Keywan Sr. died. His fiancée, Princess Shaw, spoke with the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) this month about his death.

“When I got pregnant, we didn’t know,” Princess said. “It was a week after he had passed that I found out. Of course, I named him Keywan Jr.”

Keywan was well loved in his community and was a leader in his local motorcycle club. “He loved riding his Harley,” she said.

Princess explained that she contacted the World Socialist Web Site to expose the conditions that led to Keywan’s untimely death and to encourage postal workers to fight for improved working conditions.

She told WSWS reporters that Keywan was under immense and sustained workplace stress in the period leading up to his death. He was often anxious about his employment at USPS, which was vital for supporting his family. His supervisor was a particular source of stress.

At the same time, she explained that he was generally very happy to be working at USPS. “When he started working there, he was all-in, full of energy. When he was going from seasonal to full-time, and then got the shift he wanted—he was so grateful. He cared about his job, and he sacrificed.”

On the morning of his death, Keywan said he was not feeling well and was experiencing nausea and weakness. He lay down for a while and later decided to go to work against the wishes of both his mother and Princess.

When he arrived at work, he still did not feel any better, but his supervisor brushed off his complaints. Nevertheless, Keywan decided to clock out and go home. He lost consciousness as he approached the time clock, where, Princess said, a supervisor instructed other workers not to help him until emergency medical assistance arrived. Princess said she does not believe that anyone present was CPR trained and that no AED device was available.

It took 15–20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive at the Forest Park facility, and by then Keywan could not be saved.

The circumstances of Keywan’s death are strikingly similar to those of Russell Scruggs Jr. and Chris Montano, also a Chicago-area postal worker. Both men were USPS workers in their 40s who died of cardiac arrest while at work. These tragedies underscore the systemic failure of emergency preparedness and response at the agency.

Describing the pressure Keywan faced to work as much as possible and avoid any absenteeism, Princess said, “These people think they are God with the way they think they can treat people. One supervisor in particular would call him, and I would hear him ask her, ‘Why are you messing with me? Why are you picking on me?’ It was constant stress.”

She explained that she contacted OSHA. “I contacted them because I heard from another worker that there had been an investigation. They gave me the runaround. I couldn’t get any information. Then I was advised to drop it.”

When asked whether the union or USPS had offered any support, she said, “None. All they have done is send his last check, which I still haven’t cashed.”

Addressing coworkers and families of other postal workers who have lost their lives on the job, she said, “I am so sorry there’s not anything better in place. I am taking a stand here not just for my loved ones, but for yours too, to make sure the changes come that need to come.”

Critical initiative led by the rank and file

On December 3, 2025, the Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee issued a statement calling on all postal workers to come forward with information on the deaths of Russell Scruggs Jr., Nick Acker, and any other deaths or instances of unsafe working conditions.

The committee explained that its independent inquiry “will collect testimonies, inspect machine lockout/tagout records, document the bypassing of safety features, obtain grievance histories and witness statements, and preserve photographic and video evidence.”

Since the investigation was launched, USPS workers have exposed the extremely dangerous conditions prevailing in postal facilities. One worker suffered severe health problems while working during a construction project at her facility. After falling into a coma due to breathing particulate pollution, she was denied workers’ compensation. Management ignored her physician’s work restrictions after the injury and later fired her.

The Postal Workers Rank-and-File Committee stated:

Workers in postal facilities across the country report speedup, lack of safety procedures, inadequate staffing, and pressure from management to keep machines running instead of properly shutting them down for repairs. Postal carriers are facing job cuts and wage cuts, along with a draconian monitoring regime.

Management, OSHA, and the union bureaucracy have repeatedly failed to protect us. Company-run investigations and advance notice of inspectors allow management to temporarily “clean up” plants before visits. Union officials are complicit or passive, leaving grievances unresolved and safety failures unchecked.

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