worker protections News

California Worker Board to Again Reconsider Mask Standards

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s workplace regulators are set to again reconsider controversial masking rules designed to protect employees against the coronavirus. A “special meeting” of the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board was hastily scheduled for Wednesday after …

Labor Secretary Says Most Gig Workers Should Be Classified as Employees

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s top labor official said most gig workers in the United States should be classified as “employees” deserving of related benefits, in what could be a policy shift that is likely to raise costs for companies …

Complaint May Spur Review of Meat Industry’s Virus Response

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A union complaint about whether an Oklahoma meatpacking plant is doing enough to protect workers from the coronavirus could test the industry’s response to the pandemic because Seaboard Foods says it is following recommendations from the …

OSHA Cites Smithfield Foods For Failing to Protect Workers From Coronavirus

CHICAGO, Sept 10 — The U.S. Labor Department said on Thursday it cited Smithfield Foods for failing to protect employees from the coronavirus, making it the first major meatpacker to face a fine after outbreaks at slaughterhouses infected thousands of …

Judge Voids Trump ‘Joint Employer’ Rule That U.S. States Called Anti-Labor

NEW YORK — A federal judge on Tuesday struck down a Trump administration rule that narrowed the definition of “joint employer,” and which the attorneys general of 17 states and Washington, D.C. said would eliminate important labor protections for workers. …

Walmart Amps Up Its Virus Response for Workers

Walmart Inc. will provide masks and gloves for its workers and take their temperature before shifts, the latest moves by the nation’s biggest private employer to ensure the safety of its employees as unrest mounts among front-line food retail workers. …

Virus Threatens to Unleash Lawsuits Against Global Business

The coronavirus has upended markets, disrupted supply chains and forced quarantines. It’s all fertile ground for lawsuits. Hospitals, restaurants, day care centers, nursing homes and hotels may face claims that they didn’t take adequate steps to protect people. Shareholders can …