FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2024
Interviews available
CONTACT:
Yanci Nuñez | ynunez@alianzaamericas.org (312) 866-0312
Today, July 1st, 2024, Florida’s HB-433 goes into effect, potentially risking the lives of hundreds of thousands of low-wage workers toiling in the summer sun and exposing themselves to heat, illness, and even death. To be very clear, these provisions prohibit local protection standards that exceed federal or state regulations on employee monitoring and protection, including water consumption, cooling measures, acclimation and recovery periods, informational notices, heat exposure programs, first-aid responses, protections for employees reporting excessive heat exposure, and reporting requirements.
"The indignity legislators at the Florida State capital are imposing on outdoor workers cannot be overstated, nor can we stress enough how dangerous the lack of protection is. People will die. We urge the Florida legislature to pass science-based protections for all workers to prevent injury and death," said Giselle Rodriguez, Board Member of Alianza Americas and Executive Director of Illinois Workers in Action.
Outdoor workers face heightened risks from prolonged heat exposure, particularly in construction and agriculture. Latinos are disproportionately affected, being three times more likely to die from heat-related conditions on the job compared to non-Latinos, and they make up the majority of agricultural workers.
“Last month was one of the hottest months in Florida’s recorded history with triple-digit temperatures across the state. Today, HB433 will go into effect banning every local government in Florida from enacting common-sense protections for the millions of workers who labor outdoors," said Oscar Londoño, Co-Executive Director at WeCount! based in Florida. "Instead of offering real solutions, HB433 will make workers less safe on the job and cause preventable heat-related illnesses and deaths. For years, our ¡Que Calor! campaign has been sounding the alarm on the extreme heat crisis and leading the movement to win heat protections for Florida's outdoor workers. We will continue to organize until every worker is safe on the job.”
This law coincides with a wave of anti-immigrant legislation across the country, similar to Texas’s H.B. 2127, which prevents cities and counties from implementing stricter regulations. Alianza Americas supports the Biden Administration's efforts to establish stronger national standards for heat stress and other protective measures. Alianza Americas and networked organizations like WeCount! will continue advocating for humane, fact-based laws that protect the health and safety of all workers.
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Alianza Americas is the premier transnational advocacy network of Latin American migrant-led organizations working in the United States, across the Americas, and globally to create an inclusive, equitable and sustainable way of life for communities across North, Central and South America.
