IN THIS EDITION, YOU WILL FIND:
- Updates on the introduction of the Seasonal Worker Solidarity Act and UFCW role.
- News from the Hill and the Department of Labor.
- News around the nation and in your region.
Federal Legislative and Policy Updates
- Reps. Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Judy Chu (CA-27) held a press conference with labor leaders on Friday to rally support for the Seasonal Worker Solidarity Act of 2022.
The legislation would reform the H-2B guest worker visa program to facilitate recruitment, require safe and fair workplace conditions, and require benefits like workers’ compensation insurance, and adequate transportation and housing. The bill would also create a pathway to citizenship for guest workers and force employers to recognize any labor organizations or unions with majority support from the workforce. Local 540 Secretary Treasurer Celestino Rivera spoke at the introduction and press conference. - The National Labor Relations Board on Thursday moved for a court order requiring Amazon.com Inc to reinstate a former New York City warehouse employee who was fired after raising concerns about a lack of COVID-19 safety protections at the facility.
News From Around the Nation
- Texas Frontline Workers Win New Protections in County Government. The Harris County Essential Workers Board is the latest effort by workers nationwide to leverage the hard lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic to advocate for better working conditions going forward. Local labor groups met regularly for months to advocate for the creation of the workers board, and in November, the Harris County Commissioners Court voted to approve the idea 3-2 with Democrats in favor and the Republican commissioners opposed.
- The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a proposal to reconsider and revoke the final approval of Arizona’s State OSHA plan, in response to nearly a decade-long pattern of failures to adopt and enforce standards and enforcement policies at least as effective as those used by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. State plans are OSHA-approved job safety and health programs operated by individual states rather than federal OSHA. The OSHA Act encourages states to develop and operate their programs. OSHA approves and monitors all state plans, and provides up to 50 percent of each program’s funding.
