The biting cold and intense snows of winter serve as a harsh reminder that many workers are often put in vulnerable situations due to exposure to extreme weather elements. The heat of summer brings equally dire threats for construction workers, landscapers, warehouse employees, line workers, truck drivers, roofers, and other jobs where Latinos are disproportionately represented in Colorado.
The reality is that low-wage workers experience five times as many heat-related injuries than the highest income earners in the U.S., and among outdoor workers, heat-related fatalities of Black and Latino people far outnumber their counterparts. Winter’s frigid temperature drops mirror the scenario as these workers endure the added challenges brought about by the cold.
With the seasonal shift introducing a new state legislative session in January, Voces Unidas is leading a coalition of organizations in partnership with state Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, Majority Leader Monica Duran and senators Lisa Cutter and Mike Weissman to introduce legislation adding comprehensive heat safety and extreme weather standards to state law that recognizes and addresses the impacts and needs of those who encounter those elements in the workplace.
Colorado’s outdoor workers are overdue for increased protections addressing the potential for injuries, reduced productivity, and fatalities. Our 2024 Colorado Latino Policy Agenda polling found that more than 85% of the state’s Latino voters support more protections for workers exposed to extreme temperatures. And as the planet continues warming to record levels, heat will become an even bigger issue for workers and the industries that depend on them.
The time to act is now.
Worker protection legislation is a priority issue for our organization heading into the forthcoming session, including heat and temperature safety standards, specific employer requirements, and strong definitions of heat and cold thresholds triggering those protections, among other important details.
The following organizations have signed on as coalition partners: Healthy Air and Water Colorado, Towards Justice, Conservation Colorado, United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 7, CCLC (Colorado Coalition for a Livable Climate), GreenLatinos, State Innovation Exchange, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR), SMART Local 9, Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition, SEIU Local 105, People & Pollinators Action Network, People & Pollinators Action Network (PPAN), Hispanic Affairs, Voces Unidas de las Montañas and Voces Unidas Action Fund.
Learn how to support the effort by visiting our webpage at https://www.vocesunidas.org/worker-protections.