On July 3, the UFCW applauded President Biden’s announcement that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has formally proposed the nation’s first-ever federal safety standard addressing excessive heat in the workplace.
“President Biden’s decision to implement a federal workplace heat standard is a significant win for workers,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement. “Measures like water breaks, cool recovery spots, and rest will protect workers from heat-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths. A nationwide standard is essential to ensure safe working conditions in the ever-intensifying summer heat.”
“If successful, these badly needed and long overdue protective rules will be in place to protect workers for the long haul,” Perrone added. “For far too long, our members who pack, sell, and process our food, check gas meters, and work in distilleries and chemical plants have been made to contend with extreme levels of heat in the workplace. Over the course of the next few years, we urge OSHA to pass this rule and save the lives of essential workers who are the backbone of our communities. This policy serves as a reminder of what is at stake in the fall–namely, that a strong labor movement and pro-union president are necessary for working families to win meaningful policy gains.”