'Murca!!! A Worker At An Amazon Hub Surrounded By Fires; A Roofer In Florid's Summer Heat w/o Protection [View all]

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During a blistering heatwave, the Line fire exploded across nearly 40,000 acres in the Inland Empire, which has one of the largest concentrations of logistics warehouses in the country. As the fire advanced, thousands of residents, including several of Ayala’s co-workers, were asked to evacuate their homes. Still, tens of thousands of warehouse workers – forklift operators, packagers, truck drivers and delivery workers – continued working to fulfill consumers’ growing reliance on one-click, doorstep delivery.

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Ayala was preparing to drive to work on a Sunday, when a co-worker called to tell her the smoke was so dense at the air hub, they couldn’t breathe. By the time Ayala clocked in, the fire was burning so hot it had created its own thunderstorms. Another co-worker was crying because she was fatigued and it had become painful to breathe. Several others checked into the site’s healthcare centre and were given the advice to rest before returning outside to work. “And it wasn’t just people who worked outdoors – we could smell smoke inside the building,” Ayala said. “This was just getting intolerable for us.”

That day, a group of about 50 employees approached their management to demand they be sent home, with pay. “Amazon was giving us the runaround, management was giving us the runaround. But ash was falling from the sky and we demanded an answer,” she said. Eventually, Amazon agreed to shut down operations and sent employees home with pay. It was a major win for workers at the air hub, who have been organizing for better working conditions since the air hub opened in 2021. But the relief was short-lived. Ayala and her co-workers were told to return on Tuesday; those who felt unsafe were given the option to stay home without pay. “But it’s not really a choice, because we need the money,” Ayala said.

Amazon contests this account, stating that they “proactively closed” the air hub for almost 48 hours. The company did so, “out of an abundance of caution after the Line fire more than doubled in size overnight. The facility remained closed for about two days, and employees were paid during that time,” said Montana MacLachlan, a spokesperson for Amazon.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/03/california-warehouse-employees-working-conditions-heatwave

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There are an estimated 2 million outdoor workers in Florida. But despite warming trends, workers here and throughout the US currently have no heat protections on the job. Earlier this year, Republicans in Florida passed a law banning cities and counties from enacting heat protections for workers, amid industry pressure. The Biden administration has proposed a federal rule to provide heat protections for workers, but it could be several more years until it is approved and enacted.

Atlahua explained employers provide no heat protections or resources to her and her co-workers who are directly exposed to the sun on the roofs of houses and buildings. Instead, she and her co-workers are left to try to take care and support themselves. “They don’t give anything to the workers,” Atlahua noted in reference to whether employers provide any water, training or support for workers around the heat.

As roofers, she and her co-workers aren’t provided any shade, either. If they have to use the bathroom, they are forced to drive to the nearest gas station to use one there and rely on the air conditioning in the gas station and their vehicles to cool down on breaks. Atlahua argued that she would like to see improvements in education for workers on how to protect themselves from the heat, and for more patience and support from employers, who often won’t allow workers to work too early or too late in the day when the temperatures and sun exposure aren’t as hot.

She also noted due to the nature of the work, with contractors often utilizing subcontractors who have their own employees, that the lack of education and protections around heat get dismissed and the onus is put on workers to try to protect themselves the best they can. Though employers are supposed to provide clean, drinkable water for free to workers under Osha’s general duty clause, employers will come up with excuses against doing so. “It’s because of the laws in Florida and the message Florida sends to employers. Employers also give the excuse that they are liable if they give us water and we get sick,” she added.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/oct/01/florida-roofers-working-conditions-extreme-heat