The Fight for Worker Safety
THE CRISIS
Every worker deserves a healthy and safe workplace. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911, which killed 146 garment workers, catalyzed a workers’ movement that won worker safety laws that still protect us today. But in recent decades, corporations have gained unprecedented power over workers, and safety issues proliferate when workers don’t have a voice on the job. According to the AFL-CIO’s “Death on the Job” report, in 2022, an estimated 344 workers died each day from hazardous working conditions. The worst offenders in workplace safety are household names like Amazon, Tesla, and UPS – corporations that are making record profits yet paying paltry wages in unsafe working conditions. The climate crisis and public health crises like COVID are also exacerbating existing workplace safety risks.
THE MOVEMENT
Worker safety is an issue that touches all of ALIGN’s coalitions. Our New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition is fighting to safeguard communities from the abusive practices of big corporations, particularly focusing on worker safety violations in the warehouse and e-commerce industry. The NY Essential Workers Coalition was formed in 2021 in response to the lack of COVID protections in workplaces. Our Transform Don’t Trash and Climate Works for All coalitions are fighting for clean air in our communities and workplaces.
OUR WORKER SAFETY WINS
Protecting workers from dangerous warehouse work. Our New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition has won two groundbreaking warehouse worker safety laws. The Warehouse Worker Protection Act, signed into law in 2022, protects workers from the hazards of abusive production quotas at companies like Amazon. The Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act, signed into law in 2024, holds employers accountable for workplace safety through better job design, safety standards, training, and enforcement, so that warehouses are designed for safety first.
Defending workers from COVID and other airborne infectious diseases. In 2022, our NY Essential Workers Coalition won the NY HERO Act, the first-in-the-nation infectious disease standard for private sector workers. Private sector workplaces with 10 or more employees also gained the ability to create workplace safety committees, giving workers a stronger voice in the workplace. Learn more about the NY HERO Act.
WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR
- Protect Workers from Extreme Temperatures with the TEMP bill. New Yorkers working in both outdoor and indoor sites are exposed to extreme temperatures due to the climate crisis, especially skyrocketing heat in the summer. As heat waves are getting more frequent, we need to ensure employers are protecting workers. The Temperature Extreme Mitigation Program or TEMP bill would create workplace heat safety standards for millions of workers, requiring access to hydration, relief and rest from extreme temperatures, and PPE, as well as expanded multilingual training.