Good policy to protect workers from extreme heat and cold will take multiple years
- Voces Unidas de las Montañas
- Mar 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 27
Today, our pro-worker champions, Representatives Elizabeth Velasco and Meg Froelich, had to ask the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee to vote to postpone indefinitely HB25-1286 (Protecting Workers from Extreme Temperatures) because we did not see a path forward given the lack of political will to support workers this year as well as the state's fiscal challenges.
It’s disappointing that essential workers will not be protected this summer during the inevitable heat waves and next winter’s cold snaps. It’s possible that outdoor and indoor workers will die on the job as a result on inaction by the legilasture and governor this year.
As an organization, we are proud of the research we conducted and stories we collected from Latinas and Latinos over the last two years. We are also proud of the diverse coalition that we helped built, with more than 26 organizations and counting. Together, we introduced first-in-the-nation legislation to protect all workers from extreme cold and heat.
We know good policy sometimes takes several years. This is the start and not the end of our movement to protect outdoor and indoor workers during unsafe heat and cold conditions. We will continue to organize impacted workers and lead in our coalition to find a path forward next year.
Thank you to the more than 1,600 Latino voters who took the time to answer our call as part of our research. Thank you to the 300-plus impacted workers who shared their stories to one of our organizers in the field. And thank you to the almost 500 Latinas and Latinos who took the time to advocate for this bill during Latino Advocacy Day.
Click here to stay involved in this campaign to protect workers.
Below is the official statement from the Coalition to Protect Workers from Extreme Temperatures:
"It is disappointing that our bill, Protecting Workers from Extreme Temperatures, won't become law this year. We just do not have the votes this session.
"We are grateful to the sponsors, the 26-plus organizations, and the thousands of workers who represent the economic success of our state. From construction workers to teachers, climate resilience and our economic future are intertwined with their labor and perseverance.
"For decades, workers have been expressing concern about the lack of protections when exposed to extreme cold and heat. As climate changes, so do the direct threats to workers who have to work in unsafe conditions.
"In 2024, Voces Unidas created the Coalition to Protect Workers from Extreme Temperatures with the goal of advocating for basic, common-sense worker protections because Latino workers are one of the largest groups of directly impacted workers.
"While we didn’t achieve our legislative goals this session, we’ve made significant progress. The commitments we’ve secured from leadership ensure this issue will remain a priority next session.
"Our coalition has established first-in-the-country policy proposals with detailed standards for both heat and cold protections, documented cases of worker harm that demonstrate the need for action, and commitments from key legislators to reintroduce the bill in 2026. In the coming months, we will focus on strengthening employer engagement to address implementation concerns, refining the bill language based on this year’s feedback, and expanding our research on economic impacts and health outcomes.
"We appreciate the work of Representatives Elizabeth Velasco and Meg Froelich and Senators Mike Weissman and Lisa Cutter in advancing this effort. Their continued leadership, combined with worker testimony and coalition advocacy, positions us for success next session.
"Our coalition continues to grow and we’ll be sharing opportunities for policy input and advocacy engagement throughout the rest of this year. Progress often requires persistence, and we remain committed to achieving these necessary protections."
