Hurricane Harvey recovery workers report rampant wage theft; appeals court rules the Trump administration must stop delaying a chemical plant safety rule; New York City approves new measures to address ride-sharing wages; and San Antonio becomes the second Texas city to pass a sick leave ordinance.
Environmental Health
Protecting the workers rebuilding Houston: ‘We must see them as full human beings who deserve fairness’
Even before the rains of Hurricane Harvey let up, Marianela Acuña Arreaza was mobilizing to protect the workers who would dig out and rebuild the city of Houston after catastrophe.
Day laborers in Houston are key players in the clean-up and recovery worker following Hurricane Harvey. Eight weeks after the disaster, a new report describes the work they’ve been doing, the hazards they face, and the wages being paid.
Millions of cubic yards of household debris from Hurricane Harvey is piling up in southeastern Texas. An NPR story following Hurricane Katrina paints a picture of what happens when it is carried away to landfills.
Labor unions are becoming de facto immigrant rights groups; Trump pick to head MSHA is a former coal executive; Cal/OSHA opens more investigations into Goodwill’s safety conditions; and a new memorial honors first responders who became ill after exposures during the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.