The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), which represents 1.2 million essential workers across North America, has issued a statement following a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showing that July was the hottest month since records began, surpassing the previous record set during the Dust Bowl in 1936.
The statement comes amid reports that the US administration is considering changes to workplace heat standards established by the US Department of Labor and a reduction in heat safety enforcement by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
UFCW International President Milton Jones said: "Whether a UFCW member works in harvesting at a meatpacking plant in the summertime or fulfilling grocery orders outside in the sun, heat poses a potentially fatal risk to every worker. Common sense policies to protect workers from extreme temperatures would save hundreds of lives a year, yet only seven states have implemented a heat standard."
"Despite the progress made to establish a federal standard, the Trump administration has made it clear that it intends to side with big businesses fighting these protections rather than workers in danger of heat-related illness and death."
"We have just lived through the hottest month on record. Workers urgently need standards and accountability from their employers as summer temperatures last longer and become more intense. But without a federal standard, many employers do not offer the breaks, hydration, and resources needed. The Trump administration and Republicans in Congress have an opportunity to do the right thing instead of bowing to special interests and leaving workers at risk. It is not too late to reverse course and implement a national heat standard that protects every working person in this new climate reality."
