Above: “Central Valley Farmworkers Speaking Out Over Brutal Working Conditions Of Heat, Smoke, Pandemic.” Author: KPIX CBS SF Bay Area.
A new report, “On the Front Lines: Climate Change Threatens the Health of America’s Workers,” was recently released by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the BlueGreen Alliance, and several labor organizations. It includes 14 first-hand stories from outdoor and indoor workers impacted by climate change.
According to Juanita Constible, principal author of the report and a climate health expert at NRDC, “The climate crisis isn’t just endangering the health and safety of outdoor workers, it’s also a serious threat to indoor workers. Janitors, bus drivers, public health workers, and others deemed essential in the pandemic, are on the frontlines of harm. This dual public health crisis demands that our country ramp up more robust health protections for workers now. The good news is that protecting worker health from the impacts of the climate crisis is fully within our grasp—but it will get harder the longer we wait to act.”
A House bill, the Asuncion Valdivia Heat Illness and Fatality Prevention Act (H.R. 3668), shows what government could do to address heat stress. It is supported by the AFL-CIO and dozens of labor organizations. A companion bill has just been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Kamala Harris. Read more »