Under Texas law, if a firefighter develops cancer it is presumed to be work-related. The City of Baytown doesn’t think the law applies to them and has filed a lawsuit to challenge a 22-year veteran firefighter’s claim for workers’ compensation.
A new Kentucky law will likely make it harder for miners to access black lung benefits; hundreds of organizations and individuals petition OSHA to develop a heat exposure standard; one of the world’s largest asbestos sellers starts stamping its products with Donald Trump’s face; and a new study finds corporate tax cuts don’t boost worker wages.
Affordable Care Act
Study: Affordable Care Act increased availability, coverage of mental health care
Another day, another study on the benefits of the Affordable Care Act and what we risk losing as the Trump administration continues its sabotage.
Jordan Barab at Confined Space provides Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s view about workers safety protections.
Cancer
Houston firefighters demand protection from carcinogens, Trump signs law to establish firefighter cancer registry
Houston firefighters don’t think their city is doing enough to protect them from carcinogens they encounter on the job. A newly authorized national firefighter cancer registry could be a place for firefighters to record data on protections provided (or not) by their municipalities.
It’s an appropriate time to highlight some of the recent evidence that we should keep in mind as abortion takes center stage in political discussions.
Recommended heat exposure standards are effective in protecting most workers from serious illness and death, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Recent pieces address the effects of detention on young migrant children; why so many women die in a “pro-life” world; the appropriate costs of defending white supremacy; and Supreme Court decisions.
Firefighter in charge of worker safety at ground zero dies from blood cancer; whistleblowers at the Department of Veterans Affairs chronicle retaliation and abuse; Oregon adopts new pesticide safety rules for farmworkers; and Massachusetts celebrates passages of $15 minimum wage and paid leave.
The latest resource list on articles and reports describing unsafe and illegal working conditions in global supply chains producing consumer goods for the world economy. There are the usual tales of exploitation and woe, but also some about hard-fought victories for supply chain workers over the past several months.