CNN Newsroom: Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) Discusses Leading Thirst Strike To Urge Heat Protections & Biden Unveiling Measures To Address Extreme Heat
Interview
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Big corporate lobby interests in Washington, D.C., for decades have kept OSHA, the federal agency in charge of keeping us safe at work, they've been able to keep OSHA from putting heat protections in place. It's finally time to get it done.
In those nearly 50 years that the federal government has been trying to protect workers from the heat, lately, local cities have started passing protections, like Austin where I represent and Dallas in Texas.
But this summer, this summer, Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill wiping away those local water break protections. It's outrageous.
So that's why we staged this thirst strike standing on steps of the capitol in the sun, calling on the president, supporting him to get this done and protect workers in this historic heatwave.
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These are important first steps. And the first step is the president getting this process going. So he has put in the first high heat hazard alert ever in the nation's history.
He also really heard the stories of Texas workers that were standing on the capitol steps two days before his announcement, calling out the governor for taking people's right to a water break away from them in Texas. And so the president stated that it was outrageous what Texas is doing. That's a critical first step, which is listening to workers in Texas.
The next step is putting in strong requirements, not just a hazard alert but strong requirements that require that you have the right if you're up on a scaffold in the heat in 110 degrees in Texas and you're not feeling well, to come off the scaffold, gets a drink, get some shade.
It's outrageous that that isn't currently a right. We're going to get it done.
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This affects all of us. We know it affects folks like construction workers and warehouse workers the most.
In Texas, a University of Texas report showed that nearly 40 percent of Texas' construction workers don't receive a regular water break. And the vast majority of Texas construction workers are immigrants and people of color.
But this is a problem across industries. There was recently an airplane that hit 110 degrees, and a flight attendant and a passenger had to get taken to the hospital over this.
So this is impacting indoor workers and outdoor workers.
We deserve the basic dignity and respect of protections, especially as the climate crisis gets worse and worse.
So our third strike was asking for this respect. It was calling out governors that are taking away workers' rights.
It's part of a bigger movement, I know our last segment was about protecting actors and writers and people in reality TV. All of us deserve a union, a living wage, and working should not be a death sentence.
We honored families on those capitol steps over those nine hours standing in the sun that had lost a loved one in the heat because their bosses had denied them a water break. So I think those families' stories are finally being heard.
And we can finally beat those corporate interests that have kept us from having basic things like water break and rest break protections over so many years.
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