Warehouse Worker Protection Act Would Expand Labor And Employment Regulations

The Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) has learned that U.S. Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) intends to introduce legislation that, if enacted into law, would amend various labor and employment laws and establish new protections for warehouse workers.

Specifically, the bill would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue a proposed standard for ergonomic program management within three years and it would it require the agency to issue a final rule in three years that would require employers to have medical professionals at the workplace to aid injured or ill workers and to provide occupational medicine consultation services.

The bill, reportedly called the Warehouse Worker Protection Act (WWPA), also would speed up the timeline for abatement for willful or repeat violations. Under the WWPA, employers who fail to correct a violation designated as willful or repeated, and who were not granted a stay, would be assessed a civil penalty of up to $7,000 for each day during which the violation continues.

That is not all. Sen. Markey’s also bill would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to create a Fairness and Transparency Office within the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. This portion of the legislation includes notice requirements and prohibitions related to performance quotas in warehousing.

Sen. Markey has not yet formally introduced the bill, but, according to MSCI’s sources, the legislation would affect warehousing and storage, merchant wholesalers, durable goods manufacturers, electronic shopping and mail-order houses, and couriers and express delivery services. Stay tuned to Connecting the Dots for more information on this legislation when, and if, it is formally introduced.