Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act – Passed!
With the rise of Amazon and e-commerce, warehousing is now one of the fastest-growing industries in New York and one of the most dangerous for workers.
1 in 9 New York warehouse workers are injured every year. That’s more than double the national average.
But federal and state law don’t require jobs to be designed for worker safety.
Victory! In December 2024, Governor Hochul signed the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act into law. When it goes into effect in June 2025, the law will establish industry-wide safety standards, require annual safety evaluations of large warehouses for hazards, improve training and medical care, and empower the Department of Labor to implement and enforce the law.
These regulations will hold companies like Amazon accountable for workplace safety by ensuring that warehouses are designed sustainably, protecting workers over profit.
Amazon warehouse workers rally with the New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition in Albany to fight for protections.
HOW WE WON
Our New Yorkers for a Fair Economy coalition builds worker power to stand up to abusive corporations, and won legislation in 2022 to give workers access to their abusive productivity quotas. But quotas were just one piece of the injury crisis. The next step: ensure warehouses are designed to keep workers safe.
In 2023, the coalition introduced the Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act (S5081/A8907) and over the course of two years, workers and advocates organized rallies, released research, met with lawmakers about the dangers of warehouse work, and built power with labor unions and community groups across the state. In June 2024, the legislation passed the NY State Legislature, and that December, the Governor signed it into law.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Warehouse Worker Injury Reduction Act goes into effect on June 1, 2025. Our coalition will work closely with New York State to ensure that the regulations are implemented successfully to avoid employer loopholes and keep warehouse workers safe.
Stay tuned for worker know your rights materials and more updates!