[US] Workers rally nationwide after heat-related deaths

Across the US this week, airport workers joined those in fast food, retail and farming sectors to demand on-the-job heat protections from employers and the federal government, Tucson Sentinel reports.

From Atlanta to Los Angeles, a series of rallies, town halls, and delegations were convened in 13 cities as laborers and coalitions escalated their demands to elected officials. 

On August 13, service workers reportedly rallied at major airports in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Phoenix. They called for immediate action from employers to ensure their safety in the workplace, including adequate breaks and access to drinking water during periods of extreme heat.

Earlier this year in Phoenix, local officials enacted a heat ordinance mandating many of these protections. now workers and legislators are warning that the ordinance has led to inadequate improvements and questioned how the protections are being enforced. 

“Why is it after passing an ordinance we’re still asking for the basics? Water. Breaks. These are human rights,” Betty Guardado - City of Phoenix Councilwoman - asked at the rally. 

Later in the week, labourers across the country planned to take a coordinated water break to signify the need for access to drinking water at work. 

As human-caused climate change continues to make the planet hotter, extreme heat in the workplace is increasingly becoming a lethal threat. 

Its organisers have stated that “Heat Week” was also prompted by the recent sudden deaths of Wednesday “Wendy” Johnson, a North Carolina postal worker and Ronald Silver II, a sanitation worker in Maryland. 

Ms Johnson and Mr Silver are believed to have died, in part, because of on-the-job heat exposure, which kills dozens of workers every year. 

“Heat is a silent killer. It is the biggest weather-related killer in our community,” Representative Greg Casar - a Democrat from Texas - told media at the briefing. “I was born and raised in Texas. We know it’s hot, but it’s never been this hot, this early, for this long. So, as the climate crisis worsens, we need to come together and take federal action at the national level, guaranteeing everybody the right to these rest and water breaks.” 

In July, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reportedly proposed a federal rule to mandate employers to provide indoor and outdoor workers with cool rest areas, drinking water and breaks once temperatures approach 80 degrees. 

However, that rule has yet to be finalised. It still faces a probable lengthy review, additional revisions, potential legal challenges and an upcoming presidential election that could affect the political will to get it done. 

Mr Casar stated that elected officials on every level must do more to ramp up the urgent push for heat protections. 

Source: Tucson Sentinel

(Links and quotes via original reporting)

Across the US this week, airport workers joined those in fast food, retail and farming sectors to demand on-the-job heat protections from employers and the federal government, Tucson Sentinel reports.

From Atlanta to Los Angeles, a series of rallies, town halls, and delegations were convened in 13 cities as laborers and coalitions escalated their demands to elected officials. 

On August 13, service workers reportedly rallied at major airports in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Phoenix. They called for immediate action from employers to ensure their safety in the workplace, including adequate breaks and access to drinking water during periods of extreme heat.

Earlier this year in Phoenix, local officials enacted a heat ordinance mandating many of these protections. now workers and legislators are warning that the ordinance has led to inadequate improvements and questioned how the protections are being enforced. 

“Why is it after passing an ordinance we’re still asking for the basics? Water. Breaks. These are human rights,” Betty Guardado - City of Phoenix Councilwoman - asked at the rally. 

Later in the week, labourers across the country planned to take a coordinated water break to signify the need for access to drinking water at work. 

As human-caused climate change continues to make the planet hotter, extreme heat in the workplace is increasingly becoming a lethal threat. 

Its organisers have stated that “Heat Week” was also prompted by the recent sudden deaths of Wednesday “Wendy” Johnson, a North Carolina postal worker and Ronald Silver II, a sanitation worker in Maryland. 

Ms Johnson and Mr Silver are believed to have died, in part, because of on-the-job heat exposure, which kills dozens of workers every year. 

“Heat is a silent killer. It is the biggest weather-related killer in our community,” Representative Greg Casar - a Democrat from Texas - told media at the briefing. “I was born and raised in Texas. We know it’s hot, but it’s never been this hot, this early, for this long. So, as the climate crisis worsens, we need to come together and take federal action at the national level, guaranteeing everybody the right to these rest and water breaks.” 

In July, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reportedly proposed a federal rule to mandate employers to provide indoor and outdoor workers with cool rest areas, drinking water and breaks once temperatures approach 80 degrees. 

However, that rule has yet to be finalised. It still faces a probable lengthy review, additional revisions, potential legal challenges and an upcoming presidential election that could affect the political will to get it done. 

Mr Casar stated that elected officials on every level must do more to ramp up the urgent push for heat protections. 

Source: Tucson Sentinel

(Links and quotes via original reporting)