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☆ UPS workers vote to authorize strike while cheering unexpected progress on heat safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Adiel Kaplan | J.J. Mccorvey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

UPS acknowledged the vote outcome and noted that Friday's strike authorization doesn't automatically trigger a work stoppage. While many union members at UPS cast their votes on the strike authorization before the heat safety deal was announced, some drivers said afterward that other big priorities remain. Heat safety experts praised the preliminary agreement on air conditioning but cautioned that addressing the threat of extreme temperatures would take time. Seth Harris, a law and policy professor at Northeastern University who served as President Joe Biden's top labor policy adviser, said progress on heat safety at UPS could have broader ripple effects. Already, though, the concessions have jolted UPS workers and their allies with a dose of optimism.

Persons: Sean O'Brien, Zakk Luttrell, We've, it's, Luttrell, Amit Mehrotra, Mehrotra, Juley Fulcher, Fulcher, —, Seth Harris, Joe Biden's, Theresa Klenk, Klenk, — Annie Probert Organizations: Teamsters, UPS, NBC, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Deutsche Bank, Logistics, FedEx, U.S . Postal, Public Citizen, Northeastern University, New, New Jersey UPS Locations: New Jersey

The department said its investigation found that the Hostess could have prevented the amputation injury a 29-year-old worker suffered while reassembling a pump at a company facility in Chicago. The investigation was launched after the company, which makes popular snacks like Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Donettes, reported the injury to the Labor Department. A Hostess spokesperson said on Friday that the company was reviewing the Labor Department's allegations, but declined to comment further on "pending investigations." The Labor Department has alleged that Hostess "failed to make sure shafts, sprockets and moving parts on equipment ... had required guarding in place to protect workers from contact with pinch points and moving parts." The company has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference, or contest the Labor Department findings.

Persons: Ding Dongs, Sukhvir Kaur, Ismail Shakil, Kathrine Jackson, Aurora Ellis Organizations: U.S . Labor Department, Hostess Brands, Labor Department, Labor, Safety, Health Administration, Employers, OSHA, Thomson Locations: Chicago, Ottawa, Washington

☆ Teamsters will likely authorize a UPS strike Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Members of the Teamsters union are almost certain to approve a massive strike at UPS in a vote concluding Friday. More than 330,000 Teamsters work at UPS (UPS), making it the largest unionized employer in the private sector. And it is crucial to the nation’s economy, with an estimated 6% of the United States’ gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic activity, moving aboard UPS (UPS) trucks. UPS workers and Teamsters members during a rally outside a UPS hub in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Friday, April 21, 2023. But Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien, while acknowledging the progress that has been made, refuses to say whether he thinks a strike is likely or not.

Persons: Teamsters haven’t, Paul Frangipane, ”, Will, Carol Tome, ” Tome, Sean O’Brien, “, James P, Hoffa, O’Brien, ” O’Brien Organizations: New, New York CNN, Teamsters, UPS, United, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Bloomberg, Deutsche Bank, CNN, Teamster Locations: New York, United States, Texas, Brooklyn

New York CNN —Negotiators for UPS and the Teamsters union have reached a tentative agreement on a crucial issue in their contract talks: The shipping giant has finally agreed to install air conditioning – gradually – in its entire fleet of 95,000 delivery vans. The issue of air conditioning was a major bargaining goal for the union in the negotiations. The agreement does not require retrofitting the existing vans with air conditioning. “Heat safety is no exception.”The tentative agreement on air conditioning is not the only sign of progress. The surge in online purchases that started during the height of the pandemic drove record package delivery volumes for UPS and other delivery services.

Persons: they’ve, Sean O’Brien, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, UPS, Teamsters, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Health, ”, “ Locations: New York

☆ How Dollar General's troubles have snowballed into cluttered aisles and stores forced to close by fire marshals
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It was Christmas in May in the back room of a Michigan Dollar General last year. The clutter is one of the reasons that the Department of Labor labeled Dollar General a "severe violator" in March. In January, a Dollar General clerk was charged with manslaughter after police said he shot and killed an armed robber. Despite the problems on the ground, Dollar General continues to earn positive feedback from analysts on Wall Street. Do you work or shop at a Dollar General store or have a story to share?

Persons: —, They've, Alex Bitter, ProPublica, Corey Tarlowe Organizations: Service, Michigan, Department of Labor, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, New York Times, Dollar, Midwest, Arizona, CNN, Wall, Walmart, Home, Jefferies Locations: Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Arizona

☆ Hazardous air quality leaves some workers gasping for help
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

William MedinaWhen wildfire smoke smothers US cities and communities, suddenly creating a hazardous air quality event, workers like Leichenger say they’re left gasping for help to keep doing their jobs. On Thursday, Teamsters Local 804 partnered with New York City Democratic Socialists of America to distribute donated KN95 masks to workers. That could include greater attention paid to improving indoor air quality as well as flexible work arrangements. Research is limited, however, as to how wildfire smoke ultimately affects job choices and to what extent people become disinclined to work in higher-exposure fields with greater exposure, he said. For now, workers like Leichenger remain on the front lines.

Persons: William Medina, Uber, Matt Leichenger, Leichenger, “, lightheaded, ” Leichenger, ”, ” Jim Mayer, ” Medina, Mark Borgschulte, “ There’s, Marshall Burke, Borgschulte, ” Borgschulte, “ It’s Organizations: Minneapolis CNN —, UPS, CNN, bodega, Teamsters, New York, New York City Democratic Socialists of America, Friday, Deliveristas, University of Illinois, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, University of Stanford’s Department of Earth System, Research Locations: Minneapolis, Queens , New York, Brooklyn, New York City, Medina, Queens, bodega, York, Canada, New York, Colorado, Texas, California, Oregon

We used a professional device called a sound level meter to record the decibel levels of common sounds and environments. According to the World Health Organization, average road traffic noise above 53 dB or average aircraft noise exposure above about 45 dB are associated with adverse health effects. This chart shows how many people in the United States may be exposed to various outdoor noise levels, on average. Scientists believe that pronounced fluctuations in noise levels like this might compound the effects on the body. Nighttime noise shows similar inequities.

Persons: D’Lo, Jackhammers clack, San Diego —, Reagan, George Jackson, Mendenhall, Carolyn Fletcher, Ron Allen Organizations: Bankers, San Diego, thunders, Massachusetts General Hospital, World Health Organization, Department of Transportation, Queens, High Tech Middle School, San Diego International Airport, dBs, Noise, Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety, Health, European Union Locations: San, Bankers Hill, San Diego, Greenpoint , Brooklyn, Brooklyn, D’Lo, Miss, Mississippi, New York City, California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, United States, U.S, Point Loma, Swiss, Paris, Berlin, Switzerland

☆ 49 people have been killed at Dollar General stores since 2014. Workers are protesting for safer conditions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

But following repeated violent incidents and federal workplace safety violations at stores, some Dollar General workers and labor advocates are calling for stronger safety and health protections. Since 2014, there have been 49 people killed and 172 people injured at Dollar General stores, according to data from non-profit group Gun Violence Archive. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited unsafe conditions at dozens of Dollar General stores in recent years. Since 2017, the federal agency has proposed more than $21 million in fines against Dollar General. Dollar General workers and their allies are rallying Wednesday outside Dollar General's headquarters in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, ahead of the company's annual shareholder meeting.

Persons: Doug Parker, ”, Kurt Petermeyer Organizations: New, New York CNN —, Workers, Dollar, CNN, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, General, Retail, Violence, Economic Policy Institute, OSHA, United, Funds Locations: New York, America, Goodlettsville , Tennessee, Louisiana, Atlanta

☆ Dollar General investors vote to probe worker safety, after years of employee complaints
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Dollar General stores have been cited by OSHA and local authorities for safety hazards for years. OSHA has called Dollar General a "severe violator"David Williams, an employee at a Dollar General store, said he and his colleagues at other locations go to work scared of the dangers that they will encounter there. Safety hazards at Dollar General stores have also gotten the attention of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, which has proposed fines on Dollar General of $21 million since 2017. The company's violations are severe and frequent enough that Dollar General earned a "severe violator" designation from OSHA in March. The proposal's passage marks a win for Dollar General workers, Mary Beth Gallagher, director of engagement at Domini Impact Investments, said in a statement.

Persons: —, David Williams, Williams, Mary Beth Gallagher, Gallagher, Alex Bitter Organizations: OSHA, Service, Shareholders, Dollar, US, Equity Fund, CNN, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Impact Locations: Goodlettsville , Tennessee, Mexico

☆ Dollar General shareholders pass proposal to improve worker safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Dollar General shareholders passed a resolution Wednesday to create an independent audit into worker safety, as the retailer faces mounting pressure to improve conditions. Dollar General's board recommended shareholders vote against the measure. "I'm one of the hundreds of thousands of Dollar General employees that come into work every day scared for our safety. Williams pointed to the financial implications of Dollar General's safety issues. Beyond fire hazards and dangerous levels of clutter, Dollar General has become a hot spot for gun violence.

Persons: stocker David Williams, Williams, Debbie Berkowitz Organizations: Domini Impact, Research, federal, Safety, Health Administration, Dollar, OSHA, Violence Locations: Mexico, America, Goodlettsville , Tennessee

☆ Exclusive: Staff at top U.S. farm research center file complaint alleging unsafe work conditions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Leah Douglas | Thomson Reuters | Washington-Based Award-Winning Journalist Covering Agriculture | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +11 min

The Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) near Washington D.C. is the largest research facility owned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and has long been the flagship of U.S. farm research. “Our employees’ health and well-being is our top priority," a spokesperson at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), which oversees BARC, told Reuters. STAFF CUTSFounded in 1910, the BARC facility spans nearly 7,000 acres in Prince George’s County, Maryland, near the nation’s capital. The unreliable conditions are affecting research outcomes, making it at times impossible to complete experiments or replicate their findings, said two research employees. On February 22, several BARC employees met with Thomas Shanower, the director of USDA’s Northeast Area, a division that oversees 15 research centers, including BARC.

[1/2] Production units are seen in operation at Marathon Petroleum’s Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, Texas, U.S., May 15, 2023. Scott Higgins, a 55-year-old machinist, was killed and two contract employees, including Eduardo Olivo, were injured in a fire at Marathon’s giant Galveston Bay Refinery on Monday morning. The unit is the larger of two Ultraformers at the 593,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Galveston Bay Refinery, the second-largest in the United States. Higgins was the second worker to die at the Marathon refinery this year. On March 23, 2005, when the refinery was owned by BP Plc, 15 contract workers were killed and 180 other people were injured in a explosion caused by an overflowing refinery unit.

☆ Activist firms call on Dollar General, Dollar Tree to improve worker safety, wages
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Two activist investment firms are calling on Dollar General and Dollar Tree shareholders to approve a pair of resolutions aiming to improve worker safety and wages, the firms said Tuesday. Dollar General Proposal 7, led by Domini Impact Investments, calls for an independent audit into worker safety and well-being. "It's far too dangerous in the stores that we work in," David Williams, a Dollar General stocker, said during a panel event Tuesday. Federal regulators have repeatedly found similar violations at Dollar General stores across the country, prompting OSHA to label it a "severe violator" of workplace safety rules. Considering the $37.84 billion in sales Dollar General posted in fiscal 2022, the penalties are unlikely to have a major impact on its balance sheet.

☆ Dollar General's troubles have snowballed into cluttered aisles and stores forced to close by fire marshals. Employees tell us what went wrong.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Current and former employees who spoke to Insider say clutter at Dollar General stores has gotten worse over the last few years. The clutter is one of the reasons that the Department of Labor labeled Dollar General a "severe violator" in March. In January, a Dollar General clerk was charged with manslaughter after police said he shot and killed an armed robber. Despite the problems on the ground, Dollar General continues to earn positive feedback from analysts on Wall Street. Do you work or shop at a Dollar General store or have a story to share?

Federal worker safety inspections have alleged poor maintenance or a lack of safety training at some Tyson plants where ammonia leaks injured workers. CNN interviewed eleven current or former Tyson workers across three different plants who experienced ammonia leaks. !”A safety sign hangs on a fence at a Tyson plant in Hope, Arkansas, in March 2023. Still, some Tyson workers who lived through ammonia leaks said they wished more had been done to protect them. That means that the data doesn’t necessarily cover Tyson plants or other meat facilities that hold smaller amounts of ammonia.

☆ Amazon's worker safety hazards come under fire from regulators and the DOJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Katie Tarasov | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

In 2021, Amazon's injury rate was almost 1.5 times the industry average. Jennifer Crane works through pain at an Amazon warehouse in St. Peters, Missouri, after hurting her wrist in October. Amazon worker Jennifer Crane at her house outside St. Louis, Missouri, in 2022. OSHA also cited Amazon for 14 record-keeping violations, finding that the company failed to properly report worker injuries and illnesses. If you're rushing, you're going to make mistakes and someone's going to get hurt."

☆ A paper mill in Alabama told authorities a worker died from a heart attack. He actually died after being electrocuted by machinery, the labor department says.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A paper mill in Alabama told OSHA that a worker who was electrocuted actually died from a heart attack. The company's lawyer also asked the coroner's office to change the cause of death to heart attack, OSHA said. The department said that the company – South Coast Paper LLC – had "willfully" violated safety standards, including failing to implement procedures to protect employees performing maintenance on machinery. The plant's manager and the company's general manager, however, told an OSHA certified safety and health officer that the worker had died from electrocution, OSHA wrote. South Coast Paper did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside of regular working hours.

Last year, all of the record 15 shareholder proposals were rejected by investors' votes. Shareholder proposals across industries have increased since 2020, but support for them fell from 2021 to 2022, according to a PWC report. The report would detail the "impact of (Amazon's) policies, management, performance metrics, and targets," Tulipshare's proposal said. Tulipshare, which owns 13 shares or about $7,000 in Amazon stock, secured 44% of investors' votes in 2022. Amazon is recommending that shareholders reject Tulipshare's proposal, saying the company continually works to improve "safety processes, programs, and technology."

Companies Amazon.com Inc FollowNEW YORK, April 13 (Reuters) - E-retail giant Amazon (AMZN.O) is facing 18 shareholder proposals, beating its 2022 record of 15 proposals, as environmental, social and governance (ESG)-focused investors push for more changes in the company, according to Amazons' proxy statement released on Thursday. The number of shareholder proposals across industries has grown since 2020. Last year, all of the record 15 shareholder proposals were rejected by investors’ votes. Although Amazon has a record number of proposals on the ballot this year, this is not the most proposals that have been submitted by shareholders to the company. Amazon can challenge submissions with the Securities Exchange Commission or negotiate with investors to provide audits and reports outside of the annual shareholder meeting.

☆ Amazon shareholders introduce record number of proposals for second-consecutive year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Arriana Mclymore | Thomson Reuters | Arriana Mclymore Is A New York-Based Reporter Covering E-Commerce | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tulipshare secured 44% of investors’ votes in 2022. Amazon's board has recommended shareholders vote against each of the 18 proposals. Last year, all of the record 15 shareholder proposals were rejected by investors’ votes. Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the increase in shareholder proposals. The proposals will be voted on during Amazon's annual meeting on May 24.

☆ Amazon warehouse workers are seriously injured at twice the rate of employees at similar warehouses, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The serious injury rate among Amazon warehouse workers is more than double the rate at other warehouses. The report also found that the rate of "serious" injuries was more than double the serious-injury rate at other warehouses. In 2022, the serious-injury rate among Amazon warehouse workers was 6.6 serious injuries for every 100 workers — more than double the rate at other warehouses, which was 3.2 serious injuries for every 100 workers. But both years reflected an increase in serious injuries compared to 2020, when Amazon's serious injury rate was 5.9 for every 100 workers. At the end of 2022, Amazon was hit with 14 citations from federal regulators for failing to record workers' injuries.

☆ Amazon workers seriously injured at more than twice the rate of other warehouses, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Annie Palmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

That's more than double the rate of all non-Amazon warehouses, which had 3.2 serious injuries for every 100 workers. Amazon's serious injury rate fell by about 3% between 2021 and 2022. The rate shot up to 6.8 serious injuries for every 100 workers in 2021, compared to a rate of 5.9 serious injuries for every 100 workers in 2020. While Amazon's serious injury rate fell between 2021 and 2022, its overall injuries increased. In 2021, Amazon set a goal to halve its warehouse injury rate by 2025.

When we've been awake for a long time, our sleep drive kicks in and tells us we need to sleep. During REM sleep, the cortex – responsible for cognition and emotion-processing – is activated in some regions and deactivated in others. After cycling through non-REM and REM sleep around 4 to 5 times, the basal forebrain and other structures receive signals to start exiting sleep. WHEN SLEEP GOES WRONGIn the U.S. alone, 50 to 70 million people experience some type of chronic sleep disorder, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). In the United States, a list of board-certified sleep medicine physicians and accredited sleep disorders centers is available from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

☆ A worker's leg had to be amputated after he fell into an industrial blender, the labor department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A worker in Ohio fell into an industrial blender and had to have his leg amputated, the DOL said. Following an investigation, the OSHA proposed penalties of $1.9 million for Zwanenberg Food Group. OSHA said cleaning staff weren't trained on how to ensure equipment was isolated during maintenance. The DOL said staff weren't trained to lock the equipment prior to cleaning so it didn't move during maintenance. Cleaning staff weren't given information about wearing appropriate eye protection and weren't trained on how to ensure equipment was isolated, OSHA found.

☆ Blocked emergency exits and 'dangerous' fire hazards: Dollar General again found in violation of federal workplace safety standards
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The exterior of a Dollar General convenience store is seen on March 16, 2023 in Austin, Texas. Dollar General has again been found in violation of federal workplace safety regulations for "willfully exposing" staff to fire hazards at a Pennsylvania store, the Department of Labor said Friday. "Dollar General Corp. has a substantial history of the same violations and hazards found at stores all around the U.S. Just last week, OSHA said Dollar General was in settlement talks with federal regulators after the retailer was labeled a "severe violator" of workplace safety rules. In fiscal 2022, which ended Feb. 3, Dollar General reported $37.84 billion in sales and a net income of $2.41 billion.

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