New Yorkers, working both in outdoor and indoor sites, are exposed to extreme temperatures due to climate change. Every year, New York City has high numbers of heat-related emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and deaths, as found and declared by the NY State Legislature. According to the New York City Office of the Mayor, each year, there are an estimated 450 heat-related ED visits, 150 heat-related hospital admissions, 10 heat stroke deaths, and 350 heat-exacerbated deaths caused by heat-worsening existing chronic conditions.

By declaring that the government is obligated to ensure that employers provide safe conditions for their employees, bill S.1604-C (Ramos)/A.3321-C (Joyner) seeks to mitigate as much of the harmful effects of the heat and cold within the workplace by regulating high/cold temperatures in indoor and outdoor worksites. This legislation would capture agriculture, construction, landscaping, commercial shipping, food service, and warehousing, including Local 372-NYC Board of Education Employees and school cafeteria members.

The vast majority of schools were built from the 1930s through the 1990s, which lack the proper design and operation for acceptable indoor air circulation. Due to the age and condition of these buildings, many lack the necessary electrical capabilities to simply install cool units in kitchen spaces. Many of these kitchens that Local 372 workers are in every day have little to no cooling or ventilation and can reach over 130 degrees.

That is why setting a standard on the minimum/maximum temperature a worker can work under and passing bill S.1604-C (Ramos)/A.3321-C (Joyner) is essential to ensure a safe environment for workers. We cannot wait until there is a fatal occurrence for this issue to be addressed.