OSHA Says New Safety Rules Aren’t Needed As Country Reopens. Workers Beg To Disagree.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has said that because of the fluid nature of the crisis it doesn't believe any new regulations are warranted at this time. But advocates say there are clear-cut measures employers can take--like providing personal protective gear--that aren't likely to change in the coming months.
Politico:
Clash Over Government Role In Worker Safety Intensifies As Businesses Reopen
Democrats and unions are trying to compel the Trump administration to aggressively police workplace safety as businesses from auto plants to retail stores begin reopening across the country. The AFL-CIO, which represents more than 12 million workers, on Monday asked a federal court to force the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue mandatory workplace safety rules, which the agency so far has refused to do. And House Democrats on Friday passed a coronavirus aid package that would require the agency to issue emergency safety requirements for employers. (Rainey, 5/18)
The New York Times:
‘Way Too Late’: Inside Amazon’s Biggest Outbreak
Therese Kelly arrived for her shift at an Amazon warehouse on March 27 to find her co-workers standing clustered in the cavernous space. They were awaiting a buildingwide announcement, a rarity at the complex known as AVP1. Over a loudspeaker, a manager told them what they had feared: For the first time, an employee had tested positive for the coronavirus. Some of the workers cut short their shifts and went home. Ms. Kelly, 63, got to work, one of the hundreds of thousands of Amazon employees dealing with the spike in online orders from millions of Americans quarantined at home. (Weise, 5/19)
