Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) new emergency temporary standard (ETS) for workplace safety during the pandemic went into effect on Monday. For the first time since the pandemic started, Oregon workers will have clear, enforceable and consistent workplace protections from COVID-19. The new protocols provide rules around transparency and reporting, training, employee input and employer requirements to mitigate hazards, and ventilation. The Oregon AFL-CIO fought hard for the implementation of the ETS.
“The emergency temporary standard is a step forward for Oregon’s workers. Oregon is now only the third state in the nation to adopt workplace safety and health protections for workers against COVID-19,” said state federation President Graham Trainor (IBEW). “Oregon’s unions and worker advocates have fought for this standard since the beginning of the pandemic and have been closely engaged in the process to ensure it is suitable and reflects the risk workers face on the job….We owe it to the workers who risk their health and safety to provide for their families to get this right, and soon, to ensure workplace protection now and into the future.”
