Across the country, people are skipping meals and falling behind on housing payments while layoffs, automation, and diminishing labor protections deepen insecurity. The message many workers hear is simple: You are replaceable.
Before joining National COSH earlier this year, COSHCON was something I had only heard about from afar. Working as a consultant in the NYC labor movement, I knew it was a respected, bilingual gathering that brought together workers, organizers, and health and safety leaders, but it was still just a concept to me, something other people experienced.
Extreme heat in Arizona is not just a seasonal inconvenience. It’s a workplace hazard that is increasingly lasting longer and can make even routine work life-threatening. The Arizona Heat Standards Coalition hosted demonstrations that simulated loading heavy luggage onto airplanes, wearing pesticide-protection suits in agriculture, and working in roofing and landscaping under intense sun.
Trina David worked on the ground crew at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport for 19 years, offloading and loading 4,000 to 6,000 pounds of baggage in less than an hour to get planes out on time.
Arizona workers demonstrated the dangers of extreme heat Wednesday, pushing for new rules to protect people who work outdoors.
The event, called "Walk an Hour in a Worker's Shoes," let people experience the harsh conditions Arizona workers face every day — from construction to landscaping.
Last year, Cooperative Laundry was named one of the country’s worst employers in any industry — a striking distinction for a small, little-known operator with just two plants in New Jersey and Texas. It landed on the 2025 “Dirty Dozen” list alongside national retail and logistics giants and a private prison operator that runs ICE detention centers.The list is compiled annually by the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, a network of grassroots worker-safety groups.
As extreme heat continues to endanger millions of workers across the United States, workers, unions, worker centers, health and safety advocates, and community organizations are launching a coordinated Fired Up! National Week of Heat Action from August 10-16to demand stronger protections from dangerous workplace heat and educate workers about their rights.
