The push for federal heat safety guidelines for farm and construction workers in Florida faces stagnation, particularly under the Trump administration, which has delayed OSHA's proposed heat regulations. Efforts to create local protections were thwarted by both Miami-Dade County and the Florida Legislature. Worker advocacy groups express disappointment as they watch the noble 'Que Calor' campaign, initiated four years ago, crumble under lobbying pressures. Despite a scheduled meeting by the Biden administration, there is skepticism regarding any significant progress to improve working conditions for those affected by extreme heat threats.
"We're hearing still that workers in many plant nurseries here in South Florida are denied basic protections like water, rest and shade," said Oscar Londoño, the executive director of WeCount!, a non-profit fighting for better working conditions.
The years-long drive to give Florida's nursery and farm workers landmark health protections from increasingly scorching summer heat appears to have reached a dead end.
It's a disappointing result for a 'Que Calor' campaign that started in the fields of South Miami-Dade four years ago.
Though a meeting posted by the Biden administration is still set for June, worker advocacy groups, former OSHA staffers and others involved in the effort no longer expect significant changes in how the agricultural and other industries handle the growing risks from extreme heat.
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