Some worry that it’s a major setback for workers’ rights and that it’ll be difficult to obtain such protections again under the state’s conservative legislature.
Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a law overriding labor ordinances that mandate water breaks for construction workers, during a week when many parts of the state are reaching temperatures of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
House Bill 2127 was signed into law by Abbott on June 13 and is set to go into effect on September 1. Both Austin and Dallas previously passed laws ensuring construction workers received a 10-minute break for every 4 hours of work. However, HB 2127 will require that cities and counties follow state labor codes, as opposed to local codes, meaning that these laws, in addition to many other local Texas labor ordinances, would be overturned on September 1.
Some supporters of the law argue that Texas’ patchwork of inconsistent local ordinances has negatively impacted businesses. Opponents, however, worry that it’s a major setback for workers’ rights and that it’ll be difficult to obtain such protections again under the state’s conservative legislature.
“If you just address worker safety and do it in a consistent manner, then that should be good for business,” Texas state Rep. Maria Luisa Flores (D-Austin) told The Washington Post. “You don’t want your employees dying from heat illness because that impacts your business. I think employers should be some of the folks that are for worker protections.”
According to a lengthy joint study published by NPR and Columbia Journalism Investigations (CJI), government data shows that Texas had the most deaths due to high temperatures of any state between 2011 and 2021, with at least 53 on record. Now, with fewer breaks, some worry that the number will rise.
Source : Now This News
