South Carolina Gov. sues Biden’s OSHA
- South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster filed a lawsuit against OSHA and related federal officials challenging its attempt to require that states increase civil penalties against employers to the level of federal penalties.
- OSHA began the process of trying to revoke Arizona’s state plan based, in part, on Arizona’s refusal to adopt increased penalties on its businesses.
- The governor’s lawsuit seeks to prohibit OSHA from taking the same or similar action against South Carolina’s state plan.
- The lawsuit asks the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina to declare unlawful OSHA’s mandate in the 2022 annual adjustment that state civil penalties be at least as great as federal civil penalties.
Illinois hospital to settle COVID vaccination mandate
- NorthShore University HealthSystem in Evanston, Ill., agreed to pay more than $10.3 million to resolve allegations over its COVID-19 shot mandate.
- It was reportedly the nation’s first classwide lawsuit for healthcare workers over a COVID shot mandate
- NorthShore will change its policy to allow unvaccinated employees to work if they have an approved religious exemption.
- It’s estimated that employees who quit or were fired will receive approximately $25,000 each, and the original 13 plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit will get around $20,000 more.
Amazon workers walk off the job
- Warehouse workers at Amazon’s largest air freight facility walked off the job Monday over a pay dispute and working conditions with the heat.
- About 160 employees walked out at the San Bernardino International Airport facility, which is a part of Amazon’s logistics network and one of the company’s three U.S. air hubs.
- However, Amazon officials reported that only 74 out of the 1,500 employees at the facility walked out over the dispute.
- About 900 employees at the San Bernardino airport have signed a petition calling for base pay to be increased from $17 per hour to $22 per hour.
OSHA forms alliance with temporary workers
- OSHA and the American Staffing Association renewed an alliance to improve the workplace safety and health of temporary workers.
- An ASA safety committee works with companies to ensure temporary workers’ voices are heard and to identify workers interested in safety and health careers.
- The initiative will raise awareness among host and staffing employers of safety and health issues that impact immigrant and vulnerable worker populations across multiple industries.
- Free webinars that discuss a series of OSHA Temporary Worker Initiative Bulletins, such as outdoor/indoor heat prevention, respiratory protection, noise exposure and hearing conservation, and communicating with workers about hazardous materials.