6 ms·

> Texas’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott, signed a controversial bill into law on 14 June that prohibits local municipalities from enacting heat protection st

by mvdtnz 3y ago

> Texas’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott, signed a controversial bill into law on 14 June that prohibits local municipalities from enacting heat protection standards for construction workers. The bill nullifies ordinances previously passed in Austin and Dallas that mandated 10-minute breaks for workers every four hours. How often are these guys taking breaks? 10 minutes every four hours seems like not nearly enough break time even in normal conditions. Yet somehow the governor signed a bill saying they're not entitled to even that? What is going on in USA with workers right? Is this normal?

cozzyd 3y ago
I would hope most companies would give more breaks than that, but the fact that it's mandated suggests that some don't...
- mrguyorama 3y ago
  [flagged]
rootusrootus 3y ago
> Is this normal? This is Texas. Other states have different rules. For comparison, at a heat index of 100F, Oregon requires 30 minute breaks every 1 hour. Here is more detail (PDF): https://osha.oregon.gov/OSHAPubs/factsheets/fs90.pdf https://osha.oregon.gov/OSHAPubs/factsheets/fs90.pdf
- mustacheemperor 3y ago
  Unfortunately, only a minority of state OSHA codes include heat safety. Federal OSHA is working on rules, but they seem to be a long way off. https://www.constructiondive.com/news/osha-heat-standard-construction-safety/687970/ https://www.constructiondive.com/news/osha-heat-standard-con...
fakedang 3y ago
Do American politicians have a thing against letting the common people survive? Jeez, I was in the Middle East, and even the sheikhs and kings there mandated that no outdoors work be done in the afternoons or on days with extremely high temperatures. That is, 11 am to 4 pm absolutely blocked, no ifs or buts. Work in the 5 searing summer months happened in the night.
- zbrozek 3y ago
  Here in the states, municipal construction hours ordinances usually force work to occur during the day.
- mptest 3y ago
  >Do american politicians One side much much much more than the other. Only one side banning mandated water breaks.
  - mrguyorama 3y ago
    Remember, the side that is banning water breaks in lethal heat for blue collar workers are the party that's here to protect the little guy from coastal elites!
    - deprecative 3y ago
      Don't forget the blue collar workers being denied breaks in lethal conditions are the same people voting for these people. Zero sympathy at this point. They want it? They can have it.
  - lamontcg 3y ago
    whoa there, you're forgetting the tan suit scandals, terrorist fist bumps and a couple of dick pic incidents. clearly both sides have their issues.
    - mrguyorama 3y ago
      Just you wait until you find out about that laptop that totally exists but uh fedex lost or those email servers that they couldn't even pin anything on her for or that time Hilary was kinda bad at her job and let some americans die in an embassy out of a lack of caution but she couldn't be punished because punishing top level politicians for being mediocre at their jobs would open an entire can of worms that would actually help improve things and oust bad actors so nope can't do that!
missingcolours 3y ago
To clarify, the state didn't override those specific ordinances. They passed a law severely limiting the ability of cities to make ordinances in general; my understanding is that these specific ordinances seem to simply be the ones the news media has latched onto to create a narrative.
- throwaway5959 3y ago
  So it’s worse than what the media is saying? Because the state has exerted even more control over local authorities? Not sure what you’re getting at here.
  - nocoiner 3y ago
    Correct. The “small/limited government” state legislature took away all sorts of rights from individual communities’ self-determination - involving things like running elections (but only in counties above a certain population size, meaning that exactly, uh, one large, diverse county was actually subject to this law) or mandating standards for animal shelters.
    - tzs 3y ago
      As far as animals go the Texas law says up near the top where it is saying what it covers that it: > does not, except as expressly provided by this Act, affect the authority of a municipality to adopt, enforce, or maintain an ordinance or rule that relates to the control, care, management, welfare, or health and safety of animals; so it at least gives the appearance that it isn't going to allow people to just do whatever they want with animals. But then much farther down in the miscellaneous provisions section it says: Sec. 229.901. AUTHORITY TO REGULATE ANIMAL BUSINESSES. (a) A municipality may not adopt, enforce, or maintain an ordinance or rule that restricts, regulates, limits, or otherwise impedes a business involving the breeding, care, treatment, or sale of animals or animal products, including a veterinary practice, or the business ’s transactions if the person operating that business holds a license for the business that is issued by the federal government or a state. (b) Except as provided by this subsection, a municipality may not adopt, enforce, or maintain an ordinance or rule that restricts, regulates, limits, or otherwise impedes the retail sale of dogs or cats. A municipality may enforce or maintain an ordinance or rule adopted before April 1, 2023, that restricts, regulates, limits, or otherwise impedes the retail sale of dogs or cats until the state adopts statewide regulation for the retail sale of dogs or cats, as applicable.
shapefrog 3y ago
> prohibits local municipalities from enacting Freedom.
WeylandYutani 3y ago
Forget the law. What kind of slave driver are you when you won't even let your employees have a drink? I suppose this is why we need laws because morality and ethics are beyond some of us.
- LexGray 3y ago
  I have a friend in the call center world. You are required to take the next call before you finish your notes on the previous and to never mute yourself. It is nearly straight torture to keep people talking two hours at a time with penalties if you are heard swallowing. A lot of employers love our quasi-dystopian monitor every moment future.
  - ithkuil 3y ago
    Somebody should sell an AI voice filter that edits the gulps
arp242 3y ago
This article[1] has the stated reasons (this comment is not an endorsement, just informative): Republican lawmakers pushing the new law have said it eliminates a “hodgepodge of onerous and burdensome regulations” that Texas businesses face. The effort aims to prevent cities and counties from enacting progressive policies that counter the state Republican supermajority’s aims. “For too long, progressive municipal officials and agencies have made Texas small businesses jump through contradictory and confusing hoops,” said the Republican state representative Dustin Burrows, who introduced the bill. [1]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/23/greg-abbott-texas-governor-bill-water-breaks-heatwave https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/23/greg-abbott-...
- z500 3y ago
  Here comes big government to save us from small government.
  - meinmissoula 3y ago
    The comment I'm responding to goes against several HN guidelines, but I'm hoping I can use the opportunity to turn it away from low-effort trolling into an opportunity for education and clarity. The 2-party system in the US causes hundreds of distinct groups and ideologies to be lumped into either a D or R, regardless of any ideological cohesion to any particular label- left, right, liberal, conservative, authoritarian, libertarian, etc. The state-level government in Texas is controlled by the Republican party, but specifically by a neoconservative, nationalist, social conservative-Christian cohort. The fiscal conservatives and libertarian small-government conservatives are essentially powerless, minority members of either the Democrat or Republican party, and individuals whose views match those labels will likely vote split-ticket in most elections rather than a straight-party voting pattern. In essence, while the comment I'm responding to is alluding to a hypocrisy of beliefs, a better interpretation is that the "small government" conservatives don't really hold any power in the Texas state Republican establishment. To the extent that any of them vote R, they're mostly doing so in a "choose which of 2 bad choices seems least bad" context.
    - 3y ago
nonameiguess 3y ago
Last time I did outdoor physical work in Texas was in the Army at Fort Hood. Here are the Army guidelines on work/rest intervals and fluid intake: https://www.moore.army.mil/MCoE/MCoE-Safety/content/PDF/Heat%20CAT%20Fluid%20Consumption%20Guide%20%202015.pdf https://www.moore.army.mil/MCoE/MCoE-Safety/content/PDF/Heat... Central Texas has been straddling that red/black line for the past month, and I suspect this would be classified as "moderate work," so that would require 40 minutes of rest for every 20 minutes of work. Thankfully, Gov. Abbott cannot make it illegal for the Army to enforce this.
- LorenPechtel 3y ago
  Thus tripling the labor costs. Better a few peons die than business face that!
mrguyorama 3y ago
>What is going on in USA with workers right? Is this normal? This is Texas, which is having a competition with Florida to see who can "own" the "libs" harder, which usually means causing harm to people who already have mediocre situations because it upsets people who aren't heartless.

by mvdtnz 3y ago

cozzyd 3y ago

I would hope most companies would give more breaks than that, but the fact that it's mandated suggests that some don't...

mrguyorama 3y ago
[flagged]

rootusrootus 3y ago

> Is this normal? This is Texas. Other states have different rules. For comparison, at a heat index of 100F, Oregon requires 30 minute breaks every 1 hour. Here is more detail (PDF): https://osha.oregon.gov/OSHAPubs/factsheets/fs90.pdf https://osha.oregon.gov/OSHAPubs/factsheets/fs90.pdf

mustacheemperor 3y ago
Unfortunately, only a minority of state OSHA codes include heat safety. Federal OSHA is working on rules, but they seem to be a long way off. https://www.constructiondive.com/news/osha-heat-standard-construction-safety/687970/ https://www.constructiondive.com/news/osha-heat-standard-con...

fakedang 3y ago

Do American politicians have a thing against letting the common people survive? Jeez, I was in the Middle East, and even the sheikhs and kings there mandated that no outdoors work be done in the afternoons or on days with extremely high temperatures. That is, 11 am to 4 pm absolutely blocked, no ifs or buts. Work in the 5 searing summer months happened in the night.

zbrozek 3y ago
Here in the states, municipal construction hours ordinances usually force work to occur during the day.
mptest 3y ago
>Do american politicians One side much much much more than the other. Only one side banning mandated water breaks.
- mrguyorama 3y ago
  Remember, the side that is banning water breaks in lethal heat for blue collar workers are the party that's here to protect the little guy from coastal elites!
  - deprecative 3y ago
    Don't forget the blue collar workers being denied breaks in lethal conditions are the same people voting for these people. Zero sympathy at this point. They want it? They can have it.
- lamontcg 3y ago
  whoa there, you're forgetting the tan suit scandals, terrorist fist bumps and a couple of dick pic incidents. clearly both sides have their issues.
  - mrguyorama 3y ago
    Just you wait until you find out about that laptop that totally exists but uh fedex lost or those email servers that they couldn't even pin anything on her for or that time Hilary was kinda bad at her job and let some americans die in an embassy out of a lack of caution but she couldn't be punished because punishing top level politicians for being mediocre at their jobs would open an entire can of worms that would actually help improve things and oust bad actors so nope can't do that!

missingcolours 3y ago

To clarify, the state didn't override those specific ordinances. They passed a law severely limiting the ability of cities to make ordinances in general; my understanding is that these specific ordinances seem to simply be the ones the news media has latched onto to create a narrative.

throwaway5959 3y ago
So it’s worse than what the media is saying? Because the state has exerted even more control over local authorities? Not sure what you’re getting at here.
- nocoiner 3y ago
  Correct. The “small/limited government” state legislature took away all sorts of rights from individual communities’ self-determination - involving things like running elections (but only in counties above a certain population size, meaning that exactly, uh, one large, diverse county was actually subject to this law) or mandating standards for animal shelters.
  - tzs 3y ago
    As far as animals go the Texas law says up near the top where it is saying what it covers that it: > does not, except as expressly provided by this Act, affect the authority of a municipality to adopt, enforce, or maintain an ordinance or rule that relates to the control, care, management, welfare, or health and safety of animals; so it at least gives the appearance that it isn't going to allow people to just do whatever they want with animals. But then much farther down in the miscellaneous provisions section it says: Sec. 229.901. AUTHORITY TO REGULATE ANIMAL BUSINESSES. (a) A municipality may not adopt, enforce, or maintain an ordinance or rule that restricts, regulates, limits, or otherwise impedes a business involving the breeding, care, treatment, or sale of animals or animal products, including a veterinary practice, or the business ’s transactions if the person operating that business holds a license for the business that is issued by the federal government or a state. (b) Except as provided by this subsection, a municipality may not adopt, enforce, or maintain an ordinance or rule that restricts, regulates, limits, or otherwise impedes the retail sale of dogs or cats. A municipality may enforce or maintain an ordinance or rule adopted before April 1, 2023, that restricts, regulates, limits, or otherwise impedes the retail sale of dogs or cats until the state adopts statewide regulation for the retail sale of dogs or cats, as applicable.

shapefrog 3y ago

> prohibits local municipalities from enacting Freedom.

WeylandYutani 3y ago

Forget the law. What kind of slave driver are you when you won't even let your employees have a drink? I suppose this is why we need laws because morality and ethics are beyond some of us.

LexGray 3y ago
I have a friend in the call center world. You are required to take the next call before you finish your notes on the previous and to never mute yourself. It is nearly straight torture to keep people talking two hours at a time with penalties if you are heard swallowing. A lot of employers love our quasi-dystopian monitor every moment future.
- ithkuil 3y ago
  Somebody should sell an AI voice filter that edits the gulps

arp242 3y ago

This article[1] has the stated reasons (this comment is not an endorsement, just informative): Republican lawmakers pushing the new law have said it eliminates a “hodgepodge of onerous and burdensome regulations” that Texas businesses face. The effort aims to prevent cities and counties from enacting progressive policies that counter the state Republican supermajority’s aims. “For too long, progressive municipal officials and agencies have made Texas small businesses jump through contradictory and confusing hoops,” said the Republican state representative Dustin Burrows, who introduced the bill. [1]: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/23/greg-abbott-texas-governor-bill-water-breaks-heatwave https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/23/greg-abbott-...

z500 3y ago
Here comes big government to save us from small government.
- meinmissoula 3y ago
  The comment I'm responding to goes against several HN guidelines, but I'm hoping I can use the opportunity to turn it away from low-effort trolling into an opportunity for education and clarity. The 2-party system in the US causes hundreds of distinct groups and ideologies to be lumped into either a D or R, regardless of any ideological cohesion to any particular label- left, right, liberal, conservative, authoritarian, libertarian, etc. The state-level government in Texas is controlled by the Republican party, but specifically by a neoconservative, nationalist, social conservative-Christian cohort. The fiscal conservatives and libertarian small-government conservatives are essentially powerless, minority members of either the Democrat or Republican party, and individuals whose views match those labels will likely vote split-ticket in most elections rather than a straight-party voting pattern. In essence, while the comment I'm responding to is alluding to a hypocrisy of beliefs, a better interpretation is that the "small government" conservatives don't really hold any power in the Texas state Republican establishment. To the extent that any of them vote R, they're mostly doing so in a "choose which of 2 bad choices seems least bad" context.
  - 3y ago

nonameiguess 3y ago

Last time I did outdoor physical work in Texas was in the Army at Fort Hood. Here are the Army guidelines on work/rest intervals and fluid intake: https://www.moore.army.mil/MCoE/MCoE-Safety/content/PDF/Heat%20CAT%20Fluid%20Consumption%20Guide%20%202015.pdf https://www.moore.army.mil/MCoE/MCoE-Safety/content/PDF/Heat... Central Texas has been straddling that red/black line for the past month, and I suspect this would be classified as "moderate work," so that would require 40 minutes of rest for every 20 minutes of work. Thankfully, Gov. Abbott cannot make it illegal for the Army to enforce this.

LorenPechtel 3y ago
Thus tripling the labor costs. Better a few peons die than business face that!

mrguyorama 3y ago

>What is going on in USA with workers right? Is this normal? This is Texas, which is having a competition with Florida to see who can "own" the "libs" harder, which usually means causing harm to people who already have mediocre situations because it upsets people who aren't heartless.