UPS delivers in the fight against human trafficking

UPS Canada brought its partnership with Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) to its international hub in Calgary to train and prepare drivers to assist victims and fight back against human trafficking in Alberta.

“We get involved in it because we can and because we should,” said Wilna Stewart-Franklin, community relations director with UPS Canada.

“We are the eyes and ears on the road. We see that things aren’t safe. We see that things aren’t the way they should be. So it’s very easy for us to make that phone call.”

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Human trafficking is a global crime in which people are bought and sold for forced labor or commercial sex.

Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) is a non-profit that helps truck drivers identify the signs of trafficking and take action.

According to TAT, traffickers use violence, manipulation and false promises of work opportunities or romance to lure, control and exploit their victims.

Of the estimated 50 million victims worldwide, thousands of girls, boys, women and men are trafficked for sex or labor in the U.S. and Canada.

UPS began a partnership with TAT in 2016, and says they have trained over 100,000 drivers in the United States and Canada.

TAT said the very nature of transportation jobs — with extensive travel, the variety of venues drivers visit, and their sheer numbers – creates opportunities for industry members to interact with potential victims of human trafficking regularly.

Stewart-Franklin said UPS drivers are recognizable and in neighbourhoods already, it’s a natural fit.

“We want to be a beacon. We would like to know that if somebody is in danger and somebody needs help, that they could see the brown uniforms, see the gold shield and know that there is somebody there that knows what you are going through and can give them assistance.”

Stewart-Franklin said the mobile 18-wheeler exhibit and training program UPS Canada shares with TAT was scheduled to arrive in Calgary prior to this year’s Stampede.

“It’s not a coincidence. I lived here for 17 years, and I know that during Stampede and other high-profile events such as Stampede, we see an increase in trafficking.”

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So far, UPS Canada says it has raised $8 million to combat trafficking and help community impact programs and train employees to assist victims.