workplace safety

Black-owned distillery embraces its workers’ union, this week in the war on workers

Leave a Comment / labor, unions, workplace safety / By max cyril

When workers at Du Nord Craft Spirits decided to form a union, joining UNITE HERE Local 17, the company voluntarily recognized them without any delay and in fact publicized the occasion itself. Du Nord bills itself as the first Black-owned distillery in the United States. “The production staff of Du Nord Craft Spirits chose to form a union …

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Amazon makes tiny tweak to ‘time off task’ policy following report on high injury rates

Leave a Comment / OSHA, workplace safety / By max cyril

Immediately following a report that Amazon’s workplace injury rates were significantly higher than those of its top rivals, the online retail giant announced a tweak to its notorious “time off task” metric, which workers and advocates say is responsible for the punishing pace that leads to many injuries. The Washington Post looked at Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) data and …

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Masks for thee, but not for me?

Leave a Comment / Health & Safety, Workplace Conditions / By max cyril

What everyone’s thinking about this week: Should workers still be required to wear masks on the job? When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suddenly updated its guidance last week to allow fully vaccinated Americans to gather without masks indoors and outdoors, even if some in their group are unvaccinated, the agency created confusion about …

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Biden administration weeks behind on Covid-19 workplace safety rules

Leave a Comment / Pandemic, workplace safety / By max cyril

The federal worker safety watchdog is weeks behind on President Joe Biden’s deadline for the agency to issue mandatory workplace safety rules that experts say will fight the spread of the coronavirus and protect workers. Shortly after taking office, Biden gave the Labor Department a March 15 deadline to decide whether such emergency rules were …

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On the Introduction of the Safe Line Speeds in COVID-19 Act to Protect Meatpacking Workers

Leave a Comment / Health & Safety, Pandemic / By max cyril

Washington, DC—Following is a statement from Rebecca Dixon, executive director of the National Employment Law Project: “NELP applauds the introduction of the Safe Line Speeds in COVID-19 Act, championed by Senator Cory Booker and Representative Rosa DeLauro, which would protect the health and safety of meatpacking workers by suspending and prohibiting any line speed increases …

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Labor watchdog backs calls for binding Covid-19 workplace safety standard, slams Trump’s policy

Leave a Comment / OSHA, Pandemic / By max cyril

The Labor Department’s independent watchdog recommended that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration consider issuing Covid-19-specific safety rules employers would be required to follow, saying that would better protect Americans from exposure to the coronavirus. The recommendation adds weight to calls by President Joe Biden, other Democrats and labor unions for the agency to issue …

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Six dead in Georgia poultry plant liquid nitrogen leak, this week in the war on workers

Leave a Comment / Health & Safety, workplace safety / By max cyril

Six people are dead after a liquid nitrogen leak at a Georgia poultry plant and 11 others were hospitalized, with at least three in critical condition. Two of the people killed were Mexican citizens, and those injured included at least four firefighters. “When leaked into the air, liquid nitrogen vaporizes into an odorless gas that’s capable …

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States become worker safety watchdogs as pandemic worsens

Leave a Comment / Health & Safety, Pandemic / By max cyril

States are increasingly bypassing the federal government and imposing their own rules to protect workers from the coronavirus, creating a patchwork of regulations that could serve as a blueprint for new national standards promised by President-elect Joe Biden. Oregon last month began requiring employers to supply masks, develop infection control plans and notify staff of …

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How Offices Are Tackling The Change In Security Demands

Leave a Comment / Workplace Conditions, workplace safety / By max cyril

The conversation about workplace security is not a new one. However, with the evolving demand for health-conscious solutions, the discussion of office security has taken a new turn. Remote work and in-office safety precautions to combat COVID-19 has triggered a movement of flexible and resilient workplaces. Employers and employees alike will no doubt see a …

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Detroit Bus Drivers Strike over Violent Attacks

Leave a Comment / Strike, union mobilizing, unions, workplace safety, workplace violence / By max cyril

Detroit bus drivers, the first essential workers in the country to strike for safety during the pandemic, pulled a wildcat work stoppage again Friday, angry over escalating violence against drivers. Often the attacks are triggered, they said, by a driver’s request that a passenger wear a mask. Drivers returned to work this morning with a promise …

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