Dave Jamieson, Labor Journalist with the HuffPost, joined America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss Florida’s recent law preventing local governments from passing heat ordinances for worker safety.
While some cities and states continue to work to protect workers from hazardous workplaces, Florida is rolling back protections for working in the heat. Jamieson shared the background on a proposed ordinance to offer heat protections for workers and how that led Florida legislators to pass a preemption law that prevents local governments from creating workplace laws without the state first passing one. In early 2024, the law was passed along party lines, and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it.
Jamieson talked about the history of deaths due to heat in the state of Florida, including a high-profile story about a farm worker dying in the fields in 2023 due to the extreme heat. He outlined what the initially proposed ordinance in Miami would have done for workers. The restrictions now placed on any city or county in the state are egregious, according to Jamieson. Businesses in the state can set their own workplace protections, but the new bill prevents local governments from requiring any heat protections.
Jamieson said that not just Florida is passing or proposing legislation similar to this Preemption Bill. He said these types of bills are a simple way for state legislatures to appease their supporters. The safety of workers shouldn’t be as big of an issue as this, many of these provisions to protect workers seem like common sense, Jamieson said.
To hear more from Jamieson, please listen to the show above.