Today, the Texas House State Affairs Committee passed Senate Bill 14 out of committee with no public testimony. SB 14 would forever limit the ability of a city or county to implement workplace safety protections during a pandemic or natural disaster. SB 14 would also prohibit local governments from implementing other essential workplace safety measures like a 10-minute water break for construction workers.

Workers Defense Action Fund Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Emily Timm:

“A water break requirement has been on the books for over a decade for Austin for construction workers. The Dallas ordinance has been in effect since 2015. It is reprehensible to think that the Texas Legislature is taking away this basic life-saving protection as worker face rising temperatures in the middle of the Texas summer. Construction workers fought for at the local level and won the right to water breaks because their employers were not affording them the basic human right to rest and take a sip of water on the job. In a booming $100+ billion dollar construction industry, water breaks are essential protections that save lives.

“We know that stripping away the right to take a water break will only make matters worse for construction workers and it’s outrageous that this bill passed out of committee without any public testimony from Texans who will be most directly impacted by this dangerous legislation.

Now that SB 14 is one step closer to becoming law, we urge lawmakers to do everything in their power to stop SB 14 from ever reaching Governor Abbott’s desk. Workers’ lives are on the line.”

Local Progress

National Co-Chair and Austin City Council Member Greg Casar:

“This dangerous bill would ban local leaders from taking care of Texans in this moment of crisis. Senate Bill 14 could mean life and death for workers in our state. The Legislature should be trying to reduce the impact of Covid, but instead they’re spending their time trying to undo protections for working people. Local leaders have required Covid safety measures at work, water breaks on the job, and a variety of anti-discrimination protections--and the Legislature is threatening to take that all away.”

Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy:

“The COVID-19 crisis screams in neon why it is a bad idea to take away the ability of local governments to enact local worker protections based on local conditions. With the Delta variant of the virus packing Intensive Care Units and undermining everyone’s ability to get medical treatment for the virus or anything else, the danger of the legislative effort to block health and safety regulations has become even more apparent. SB 14 will harm both working people and businesses that cannot or will not adopt the most basic protections for workers.”

Every Texan CEO Marisa Bono:

“Texas is a big state, and local leaders are often in the best position to respond to local needs as the pandemic evolves. That includes workplace safety measures that protect our essential workers who have been at the frontline to keep our economy moving. But SB 14 prevents cities and counties from keeping workers safe. Once again, instead of supporting local efforts to beat the virus, our state elected officials continue to double down on politics of denial and disregard as Texans continue to die.