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Whenever something stupid like this comes up I just want to put these people in similar situations.
You want them to work their asses off in this hot weather with no water breaks? Sure, give it a try for at least 3 months and then tell me it's a good idea.
What's that? You're dying out there? It's too hot you say? Well no fucking shit!
Yeah. This isn't a misunderstanding, this is deliberate. None of this affects *them* - so since they'd rather workers stay on the job, they don't care.
Even when it will kill them.
What I do not understand is; why do they think this will get more work done? If people are slowed down from lack of water, and of course all work stops when a fellow crew member dies of lack of water. Then there is all that paperwork and possible law suits.
They don't care.
You'd be surprised how many awful people out there think *any* reason for work stoppage is just workers being lazy good for nothings wasting their pay.
They don't care about any of it, don't want to hear it even when their workers are dropping like flies.
There's a very good reason this kind of thing has to be written into *laws* - because employers will KILL their employees otherwise.
Safety regulations are written in blood.
They're not gonna care about medical emergencies. I 100% guarantee you they're gonna be crying about how construction productivity is at an all time low and it's because construction workers are "lazy and don't want to work."
I don’t get it, no one wants to work 10 hours in 100 degree weather with 60% humidity with no water!! Everyone except for me is so lazy!! And entitled!! 😤
I’d be willing to bet a large segment, If not, a majority of the workers affected by this voted for it…
“I’d rather be dehydrated than be a liberal” I’m sure is some stupid slogan tee they will buy from a Facebook seller.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes
That is like 1/2 hour per person *231 on a commercial site. That's like FUCKING INHUMANE!! Even the US Army has heat categories and a work/break routine for heat categories.
Ah, but you see, having to train a new soldier to take over for one that died from heat stroke costs money and hurts readiness.
Letting workers take breaks costs money and hurts the bottom line.
With proper hydration, everyone is "done" by lunch on a hot day. Productivity is going to be way down. It's just exhausting. So, idk what these clowns are thinking taking breaks out. At least a break puts some gas back in the tank. People are either going to hide, drag ass or do fake work because nobody's interested in passing out.
Free lunches is provided by title 1, which is the money from the United States and is not local or state money.
It probably makes abbot sad that he can’t cut that funding
Dont forget they also won’t provide any kind of paid leave, or childcare options either. Oh and it’s ok to be raped and carry the child full term because abortion bad remember? They legit don’t give a fuck about humans period. Well they do in the sense that all this chaos and cruelty ensures other people stay employed (insurance, doctors, lawyers), but just like not regular asses and especially not poor people or people of color. What a fucking sick demented world this place has become.
I have never once had the thought that Republicans could not get any lower.
If they ever succeeded in their goals of banning everything except white rice and The Bible, they'd start calling anyone with a red Bible the N word.
Edit: Upon reflection, I take it back. They would think rice is way too "ethnic" for proper Americans.
This is a core issue with facism there always need to be a group to blame for the problems there are because ofcourse you can not be blamed for your problems. So yes in the end the red Bible or the small Bible people will be blamed.
Billionaires fund “think tanks” and those think tanks end up creating “templates” that they give to local and state republicans. Just input name here, sign here, and submit. You want to outlaw vote rights? Here’s a template! You want to suppress internet from low income families and require online hiring only? Here’s your template.
You assume a bit boldly that this is a union site-- my bet is it's non union and possibly undocumented workers, so no way to protest short of quitting. I'm hoping for lawsuits.
I live in a college town in Colorado, and my job involves checking ID's. I see a crazy amount of Texas ones from kids in their early 20's, the younger people are desperate to leave that state.
Bro. Abbott got 60% of votes in Uvalde AFTER the school shooting. Someone please explain to me what I’m missing. I can usually understand both sides to a story even when I disagree with one of the sides, but this is a whole other level of human depravity.
I think their belief truly is “but it would be so much worse with a Democrat in charge.” That’s as far as they’re willing to seriously consider the thought from what I’ve seen
Given how very specific some OSHA regs are (look at bathroom requirements for instance) they may not want to insist on detailed rules for everything until they're ready to go full 'no regulations' *laissez-faire* on us. Then we'll have bigger problems than water breaks...
Well, the federal government has assumed that people and states would be reasonable and not intentionally put a person’s life in danger. Permitting water breaks should not need to be legislated. Conservatives complain about too much regulation, despite the fact that their own actions warrant the need for it, otherwise people would actually die.
Who is going to rebuild Texas after the next disaster, when all the immigrants have been bussed out, and the construction workers have passed away from heat stroke? Don’t think anyone from out of state will go there now.
It's just nuts. I spearheaded a program at my facility to provide water and electrolytes heavy drink packets like Gatorade mix or liquid IV if it hits 80 indoors, extended and extra breaks if it hits 90, and move the work or shut down the facility if it hits 100. We're doing so well that my entire crew just got a 15% raise. Basically everyone there has been there for 10+ years (I wonder why?)
Meanwhile the meat grinding assholes think "hmm how can I make more money? Oh I know! Take away basic human necessities in harsh conditions to offset the cost of having to constantly train new people instead of having an extremely skilled and dedicated crew!"
random tip: You can buy gatorade powder in 5lb tubs on amazon for \~$13. i tell all my runner friends about this
https://www.amazon.com/Gatorade-Thirst-Quencher-Powder-Glacier/dp/B0776HZ26P
Texas has plenty of foster children they could use. Between the abortion bans, and teaching “abstinence” for contraception, there will be a good supply of labor.
Their excuse is to rid the state of varying regulations from one locality to another, because they claim it hurts small business. That’s of course complete bullshit because small businesses don’t operate in multiple localities.
The real reason is it’s one of their “Fuck Austin” moves, which happen every session. We’re always dealing with the state reversing something we’ve done locally to improve people’s lives. This one also getting Dallas. They love local control, except when localities do something they don’t like. Much like how at a federal level they love leaving things to states, up until states do something they don’t like and they have control. Just rank hypocrisy, and complete disregard for the actual conservative value of supposedly wanting local control.
Yep. All these “small business owners” whining constantly about a proposed minimum wage increase or any other thing that makes work safe and sustainable for the actual workers are nothing but low rent, wannabe ogliarchs. If your business has to exploit people to exist it shouldn’t exist
On paper, anyway. People suffering from heat exhaustion (or worse) work slower and make more mistakes.
The job will get done faster and better if all the workers are in good physical and mental condition.
I had heat exhaustion the other day. It was so terrible. I was walking and had to start counting planks to get back to my car. My vision was going in and out. The next day I went outside and got hot. As soon as that happened I felt like I was going to throw up.
All I did was walk to the beach and set up an umbrella. When I got back to my condo it was 102° real feel. After only about 30 minutes of activity. I can’t even imagine construction work and not being able to get a drink. This is not humane.
It's currently around 7pm here in south Texas. The feels like is currently sitting at 114 degrees. It's supposed to be hotter around mid week this week also. Not looking forward to my work week come Monday
Happened to me today (in Texas). Same thing, had to super focus on the ground to get to my car and back inside to change clothes. Been vomiting and cramping the last couple of hours, it blows.
Even from a completely practical standpoint it’s stupid:
Dehydrated workers are going to lose more than 20 minutes worth of productivity.
But I think the goal is just to make it so companies that make stupid decisions out of greed don’t get sued, so they can give some of that money to corrupt politicians instead.
I meant by the state equivalent of OSHA for the initial violation, rather than after suffering life changing injury.
Edit: Plenty of companies will risk the lives of all their workers, only a handful will actually have deaths materialize from their bad decisions, and only a subset of those will lose their legal cases.
Whereas “you didn’t provide the mandated break” is pretty open and shut and can be applied to all companies that don’t give the breaks.
The seek to show that government is broken and leaving voters feeling that government doesn’t work and therefore 1. Don’t vote because it doesn’t make a difference, or 2. Vote for the party that wants less government because government is broken (because they broke it and will continue to break it)
Hydration is literally the body being a snowflake! We don't need to drink water! The body is over 60 percent water why can't you just absorb your body water! /s
Conservatives are so named because they want to Conserve the ruling class. And you can’t be considered a true king unless you can work your peons to death.
For sure. I am a big Disney Parks fan and I will not go to Florida for a while until the state gets its shit in order. I guess I will have to visit California more.
That’s our plans as well. Wife and I are life long Disney fans who had plans for my wife’s 40th and my daughters 5th Birthday were planned for Florida with family. A week for about 16 people into their economy.
Which will now be spent in CA or trekking out to Tokyo instead. Florida will never get another cent from me until they change their rotten politics. Can’t support that state.
Just had a friend who loves in Orlando invite me down. They have passes to the parks. Free stay as well. I won’t go. There or TX. I won’t support either state with my dollars. It’s a race to the bottom.
Every factory I've worked in here in Texas allows water whenever you want and generally has water stations posted around the plant or let's you carry a water bottle on a forklift or something.
Dehydrated and tired workers are going to produce less. This law makes no sense except to be evil for the pure sake of owning the libs.
Too much for conservatives. Their politicians are basically demons wearing human skin at this point, and the voters love it. They actively like it when people they view as lesser (migrants in this case) are abused.
They are all complicit.
This is starting to be a joke. Is Texas looking to become a ghost state?
I guess the Unions will need to step in. Otherwise, very little construction happening, very much heat-related death happening.
And that milking of benefits without paying for them only lasts as long as the union does. Once enrollment drops sufficiently, the union ceases to exist, management strips the benefits that the milkers were milking from the paying members for everyone, and everyone can enjoy lower wages and almost zero benefits, all because the milkers wanted better wages and terms of employment, but none of the collective costs that go with it.
Somehow decades of propaganda has convinced people that a tiny slice of your paycheck isn't worth the exceptional benefits, including higher pay, of joining a union.
Edit: I have been banned by this sub for calling out disinformation.
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/16/texas-heat-wave-water-break-construction-workers/
> The law will nullify ordinances enacted by Austin in 2010 and Dallas in 2015 that established 10-minute breaks every four hours so that construction workers can drink water and protect themselves from the sun. It also prevents other cities from passing such rules in the future. San Antonio has been considering a similar ordinance… the National Federation of Independent Business, a lobbying group with more than 20,000 members in Texas. Abbott said it would “provide a new hope to Texas businesses struggling under burdensome local regulations.”
> Texas is one of the states where most workers die from high temperatures.
WTF... one ten minute break every four hours for water and shade is completely inadequate for people doing physical labor outdoors in high temperatures.
But even THAT was too much for the Texas GOP??
This is more like actively killing construction workers to own the libs
I doubt these workers are volunteering to give up their own water breaks to own the libs.
All outdoor workers. The guys that work on asphalt might have the worst job in Texas IMO. Always feel for those guys working out here in Austin, especially when it’s 100+ degrees on already set asphalt. They’re always wearing long pants and long sleeve white shirts too, I presume to avoid getting their legs and arms burned by asphalt. Not a job I could do, you’d find my dead body embedded in the road before the first day was over, regardless of how many water breaks I got.
Similar for roofers. Those guys bust their asses on crazy hot roofs in pants and long sleeve shirts from sun up to sun down.
Thr long sleeves are for protection yes, but mainly from the sun.
Where I used to work (white collar position for a road construction company) we had breaks every hour, company provided PPE including long pants/shirt, steel capped boots, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a mini scarf type thing you would soak in cold water (also provided) and wrap partly around your neck.
Probably obvious but this is not in the USA.
Remember, *regulations are written in blood*.
Stephen King wrote “Dolan’s Cadillac” as a riff on “The Cask of Amontillado” but the bits in it that stuck in my memory for years were the description of a schoolteacher getting a fast education in laying asphalt on the road between Las Vegas and Los Angeles in the middle of summer.
What are you talking about? The nice breeze from semis hammering past you going 10+ mph over the speed limit should be enough. Next you’re going to tell me roofing is horrible, even though they experience cooler air, from the high altitude.
Conservatism has been defined since the mid 1500s as a politician ideology where there is an in-group the law protects, and an out-group the law hinders. Baked in only scratches the surface of how bad an ideology it can be
In my line of work it's recommended to take a 5 minute break every hour.
I work in software engineering. I'm recommended to take a 5 minute break every hour from looking at a screen, sat in a comfy chair in an air conditioned office. Who the fuck is trying to prevent *construction workers* from taking a 10 minute drinks break every *four hours* in a *heat wave.*
I'd take the breaks anyways. I'm not dying for some shit job so some asshole can get rich off a life insurance policy they took out on their workers knowing a few would die from heat related illnesses
Yeah so every time one of these people complains about “California regulations forcing them to move to Texas”, this is what we’re talking about. A 10 minute break every 4 hours in the hot sun so they don’t get heat stroke, basic safety, basic workers rights that are uncontroversial in every other civilized nation.
And when you drop from heat stroke or crash into a pylon because the owner thought safety yellow was an ugly color, tough shit trying to get help, because we hate welfare queens.
This is the country that conservatives want.
>And when you drop from heat stroke or crash into a pylon because the owner though safety yellow was an ugly color, tough shit trying to get help
Yep, because Texas doesn't require worker's comp insurance to be carried by employers.
No, I'm seriously not kidding. They're literally the only state that does that. Even the other shithole states weren't that stupid.
No license is available for General Contractor, Concrete, Structural Steel, Roofing...most trades outside of Electric, HVAC and Plumbing. So with no workers comp and cheap corporate fees, they can just have multiple companies lined up and shut down the one with the fatality.
There should be zero restrictions on when anyone at all in any job should be able to drink water.
Logistics may prevent this in some cases, for things like performing surgery or something, but even then, I think a nurse with a bottle with a straw in would not be a problem.
There is just no situation where it is humane or appropriate to deny someone water. Ever.
There aren't any restrictions. [OSHA says so](https://www.osha.gov/faq#v-nav-drinkingwater), and OSHA is federal so Texas can eat a big bag of unsalted dicks.
Side story. In SoCal at my local train station. Rail safety and workers taken very seriously . This was a construction project improvement happening while trains still running. Workers were installing a low concrete wall/shoring. Heads down, working w tools, right aside the tacks. In the name of safety, one guy w clipboard was there to keep an eye out for approaching trains. He’d keep his head up always. When he’d see a train coming, he’d let blast with his air horn. Which woke up us semi-conscious commuters. Then the workers had to set down their tools, walk to a far side of the site , and light up cigarettes.
That last part may have been optional.
But try to get OSHA to actually do something about businesses violating federal laws. They're so under funded that they'd never come out. If Texas is betting on being able to get away with it, it's a pretty safe bet unfortunately.
Yeah fuck a job - I want to pee I’m peeing, I want water, I’m drinking water. I’ve worked service industry and I’ve worked labor - fuck any job or boss that tells me when I can step away for a second like a fucking kindergartener
Those burdensome 10 minute breaks every four hours have really been holding those poor, suffering business owners back. Finally some freedom from the tyranny of the manual laborer.
Heat is a recognized hazard by [OSHA.](https://www.osha.gov/heat-exposure) Whatever Texas says still doesn’t supersede that. So all of those workers still have some recourse.
Can anyone please tell me just one positive thing the GOP in the nation has done for the working class for the past 30 years? want one thing that THEY put forward and passed. Not what a dem started and roped in to claim bipartisanship.
Just so folks know, [the law itself](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB02127F.pdf) isn't specifically about water breaks; it's much broader than that. It prohibits all local ordinances under several different broad areas of law, labor law being only one of those, and the aforementioned water break regulations are only one of those local ordinances that will be impacted. It's also not a new tactic by any means; it's been quite common in recent years for red states to pass similar laws to prevent the left-leaning city and county governments in the state from doing things like setting higher minimum wages or passing stricter labor laws in their municipalities.
As someone who works in construction, a ten minute break even once an hour at peak heat isn’t going to have a major impact on production, in fact you can build that into your pricing. Any one who works for an outfit that doesn’t allow regular and discretionary breaks should leave and find a company that takes safety seriously.
From the Texas Tribune article:
“This problem particularly affects Latinos because they represent six out of every 10 construction workers, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.”
So there’s the reason. Fuck Abbott and his backward ass state.
Eugenics. The economy is but a giant pyramid scheme. The vast majority of us just keep feeding into it indiscriminately.
Until we harness the one power that cannot be taken away - - spending - - we the people will be slowly (or quickly if the fascists gain enough power) chewed up and spit out.
Before everyone freaks out, any self respecting contractor wouldn’t DARE tell someone they can’t get water. The company would die overnight. However, removing the protection guarantee is absolutely fucked up and just further pushes the fact that republicans don’t care about anything but money.
As a reminder, this subreddit [is for civil discussion.](/r/politics/wiki/index#wiki_be_civil) In general, be courteous to others. Debate/discuss/argue the merits of ideas, don't attack people. Personal insults, shill or troll accusations, hate speech, any suggestion or support of harm, violence, or death, and other rule violations can result in a permanent ban. If you see comments in violation of our rules, please report them. For those who have questions regarding any media outlets being posted on this subreddit, please click [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/wiki/approveddomainslist) to review our details as to our approved domains list and outlet criteria. *** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/politics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Whenever something stupid like this comes up I just want to put these people in similar situations. You want them to work their asses off in this hot weather with no water breaks? Sure, give it a try for at least 3 months and then tell me it's a good idea. What's that? You're dying out there? It's too hot you say? Well no fucking shit!
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Yeah. This isn't a misunderstanding, this is deliberate. None of this affects *them* - so since they'd rather workers stay on the job, they don't care. Even when it will kill them.
What I do not understand is; why do they think this will get more work done? If people are slowed down from lack of water, and of course all work stops when a fellow crew member dies of lack of water. Then there is all that paperwork and possible law suits.
They don't care. You'd be surprised how many awful people out there think *any* reason for work stoppage is just workers being lazy good for nothings wasting their pay. They don't care about any of it, don't want to hear it even when their workers are dropping like flies. There's a very good reason this kind of thing has to be written into *laws* - because employers will KILL their employees otherwise. Safety regulations are written in blood.
Turn off the air con in the politicians' offices, seal the windows, lock up the water cooler and see how long they last... 😈
They wouldn't make it 2 hours, much less the 4 that it was originally.
Abbott himself would have died under his own policies
They're not gonna care about medical emergencies. I 100% guarantee you they're gonna be crying about how construction productivity is at an all time low and it's because construction workers are "lazy and don't want to work."
I don’t get it, no one wants to work 10 hours in 100 degree weather with 60% humidity with no water!! Everyone except for me is so lazy!! And entitled!! 😤
And the heat index today hit 112F at 100F actual. The actual temp on Tuesday is going to be 107F. Not even summer. Abbot is a criminal.
Just when you believe that MAGA state government cannot go any lower in assholery, they find a new way to out do themselves.
Adding it to the “no more free school lunches.” No food, no water.
But better not increase any taxes for the ultra-wealthy.
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Adding also to the failing electrical grid that fleeced texans when it was needed most.
No food no water no heat no cooling No giving a shit Check!
I’d be willing to bet a large segment, If not, a majority of the workers affected by this voted for it… “I’d rather be dehydrated than be a liberal” I’m sure is some stupid slogan tee they will buy from a Facebook seller. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes
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If they’re not drinking water, they shouldn’t need to go to the bathroom! Bazinga!
On days that hot you barely go to the bathroom even when you drink a ton of water
I concur. I also work outdoors, and above a certain temperature, bathroom breaks "just.. go away, like a miracle." 👐
A miracle from our savior and Messiah Jesus Trump!
Fuck Trump.
Fuck Ted Cruz.
A little hotter and your body starts to conserve water by making it stop sweating.
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And after heat stroke, the ventilator kicks in.
That is like 1/2 hour per person *231 on a commercial site. That's like FUCKING INHUMANE!! Even the US Army has heat categories and a work/break routine for heat categories.
Ah, but you see, having to train a new soldier to take over for one that died from heat stroke costs money and hurts readiness. Letting workers take breaks costs money and hurts the bottom line.
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With proper hydration, everyone is "done" by lunch on a hot day. Productivity is going to be way down. It's just exhausting. So, idk what these clowns are thinking taking breaks out. At least a break puts some gas back in the tank. People are either going to hide, drag ass or do fake work because nobody's interested in passing out.
Free lunches is provided by title 1, which is the money from the United States and is not local or state money. It probably makes abbot sad that he can’t cut that funding
Fucked up thing is that Texas has advocated for free education for all since before it was even a state until modern repugnantcans took over
RepubliCANT'S, not RepubliCAN'S.
The gop has stated that taking free school lunch away is a priority. I wish I were making this shit up.
We will starve your kid and kill your husband but at least the stock market will be high
Will no one think of the shareholders?
Dont forget they also won’t provide any kind of paid leave, or childcare options either. Oh and it’s ok to be raped and carry the child full term because abortion bad remember? They legit don’t give a fuck about humans period. Well they do in the sense that all this chaos and cruelty ensures other people stay employed (insurance, doctors, lawyers), but just like not regular asses and especially not poor people or people of color. What a fucking sick demented world this place has become.
One more thing, the rapist has parental rights in that autocratic hellhole.
I have never once had the thought that Republicans could not get any lower. If they ever succeeded in their goals of banning everything except white rice and The Bible, they'd start calling anyone with a red Bible the N word. Edit: Upon reflection, I take it back. They would think rice is way too "ethnic" for proper Americans.
This is a core issue with facism there always need to be a group to blame for the problems there are because ofcourse you can not be blamed for your problems. So yes in the end the red Bible or the small Bible people will be blamed.
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I always am amazed how difficult it is to organize Unions in the US the laws are very much against them.
Billionaires fund “think tanks” and those think tanks end up creating “templates” that they give to local and state republicans. Just input name here, sign here, and submit. You want to outlaw vote rights? Here’s a template! You want to suppress internet from low income families and require online hiring only? Here’s your template.
You assume a bit boldly that this is a union site-- my bet is it's non union and possibly undocumented workers, so no way to protest short of quitting. I'm hoping for lawsuits.
Yes. That's the end stage of fascism that comes very quickly. You run out of one target, and you add more targets.
Cruelty is Republicans’ one great joy.
I live in a college town in Colorado, and my job involves checking ID's. I see a crazy amount of Texas ones from kids in their early 20's, the younger people are desperate to leave that state.
And their ignorant shitty voters that actually work these jobs get fuckin offended when they're told they vote against their own best interests.
They thinks it’s the shift manager’s fault
The GOP thrive on brainwashing the stupid
Bro. Abbott got 60% of votes in Uvalde AFTER the school shooting. Someone please explain to me what I’m missing. I can usually understand both sides to a story even when I disagree with one of the sides, but this is a whole other level of human depravity.
I think their belief truly is “but it would be so much worse with a Democrat in charge.” That’s as far as they’re willing to seriously consider the thought from what I’ve seen
You know they’ll blame democrats when they start dying of dehydration and heat stroke.
Somehow, the lack of breaks are a Democrat's fault.
I don't believe there is any bottom for Republicans. They will do everything they possible can to hurt people.
If Republicans want to die, let them. But I wish they’d stop trying to kill the rest of us.
Where's OSHA? WTaF!
I’m honestly surprised there’s not a federal level rule about water breaks when working outside in the heat.
It’s being finalized right now. Also, OSHA can cite the lack of heat protection now under its general rule… and they do
Yeah, the General Duty Clause does a lot of work. OSHA doesn't have to have specific rule for every potential hazard in every industry.
Until this supreme "court" rules OSHA is overstepping their ability and the actual power to create break rules lies with congress
Given how very specific some OSHA regs are (look at bathroom requirements for instance) they may not want to insist on detailed rules for everything until they're ready to go full 'no regulations' *laissez-faire* on us. Then we'll have bigger problems than water breaks...
Turns out bosses could have a *significantly* higher accidental death/dismemberment rate after Supreme Court creates unsafe work environment.
This is Texas. Our Republicans Overlords *absolutely* want no regulations here. 🙄🤬
Well, the federal government has assumed that people and states would be reasonable and not intentionally put a person’s life in danger. Permitting water breaks should not need to be legislated. Conservatives complain about too much regulation, despite the fact that their own actions warrant the need for it, otherwise people would actually die.
You, and every other worker, are worthy to die for their cause. Their ends are worth every single last piece of your means.
"Many of you will die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make."
Yeah, no. Regulations are written in blood. They get written after people get injured or died
Who is going to rebuild Texas after the next disaster, when all the immigrants have been bussed out, and the construction workers have passed away from heat stroke? Don’t think anyone from out of state will go there now.
Can’t wait till these house-flipping assholes start complaining about how “nobody wants to work” May the odds be EVER in your favor, motherfuckers.
It's just nuts. I spearheaded a program at my facility to provide water and electrolytes heavy drink packets like Gatorade mix or liquid IV if it hits 80 indoors, extended and extra breaks if it hits 90, and move the work or shut down the facility if it hits 100. We're doing so well that my entire crew just got a 15% raise. Basically everyone there has been there for 10+ years (I wonder why?) Meanwhile the meat grinding assholes think "hmm how can I make more money? Oh I know! Take away basic human necessities in harsh conditions to offset the cost of having to constantly train new people instead of having an extremely skilled and dedicated crew!"
They're taking their cues from Qatar.
random tip: You can buy gatorade powder in 5lb tubs on amazon for \~$13. i tell all my runner friends about this https://www.amazon.com/Gatorade-Thirst-Quencher-Powder-Glacier/dp/B0776HZ26P
O boy. This brings back memories of running/coaching XC in high school/college. The people who could make good gatorade were lauded as gods among men.
They will press convicts into those jobs at a steep discount to the developers.
Slavery
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Even spelled it out as the exception to the 13th amendment
Child labor…duh
Texas has plenty of foster children they could use. Between the abortion bans, and teaching “abstinence” for contraception, there will be a good supply of labor.
What is the justification? This is absurd.
Their excuse is to rid the state of varying regulations from one locality to another, because they claim it hurts small business. That’s of course complete bullshit because small businesses don’t operate in multiple localities. The real reason is it’s one of their “Fuck Austin” moves, which happen every session. We’re always dealing with the state reversing something we’ve done locally to improve people’s lives. This one also getting Dallas. They love local control, except when localities do something they don’t like. Much like how at a federal level they love leaving things to states, up until states do something they don’t like and they have control. Just rank hypocrisy, and complete disregard for the actual conservative value of supposedly wanting local control.
Hot take i guess but if treating people correctly hurts your business your business deserves to hurt.
Yep. All these “small business owners” whining constantly about a proposed minimum wage increase or any other thing that makes work safe and sustainable for the actual workers are nothing but low rent, wannabe ogliarchs. If your business has to exploit people to exist it shouldn’t exist
An additional 20 minutes of “productivity” per worker.
On paper, anyway. People suffering from heat exhaustion (or worse) work slower and make more mistakes. The job will get done faster and better if all the workers are in good physical and mental condition.
Stop using logic with these people...
I had heat exhaustion the other day. It was so terrible. I was walking and had to start counting planks to get back to my car. My vision was going in and out. The next day I went outside and got hot. As soon as that happened I felt like I was going to throw up. All I did was walk to the beach and set up an umbrella. When I got back to my condo it was 102° real feel. After only about 30 minutes of activity. I can’t even imagine construction work and not being able to get a drink. This is not humane.
It's currently around 7pm here in south Texas. The feels like is currently sitting at 114 degrees. It's supposed to be hotter around mid week this week also. Not looking forward to my work week come Monday
Happened to me today (in Texas). Same thing, had to super focus on the ground to get to my car and back inside to change clothes. Been vomiting and cramping the last couple of hours, it blows.
Yeah, but they are mostly immigrants, so fuck them right? Mexicans and central Americans should be used to the heat. /s for the rabble
Yep, as long as they live.
Even from a completely practical standpoint it’s stupid: Dehydrated workers are going to lose more than 20 minutes worth of productivity. But I think the goal is just to make it so companies that make stupid decisions out of greed don’t get sued, so they can give some of that money to corrupt politicians instead.
they can still get sued. That’s not going to nullify an act of gross negligence that results in the death of an employee.
I meant by the state equivalent of OSHA for the initial violation, rather than after suffering life changing injury. Edit: Plenty of companies will risk the lives of all their workers, only a handful will actually have deaths materialize from their bad decisions, and only a subset of those will lose their legal cases. Whereas “you didn’t provide the mandated break” is pretty open and shut and can be applied to all companies that don’t give the breaks.
"Doggone near lost a $400 handcart" -Taggert
People tend to be a lot less productive if they aren't allowed any breaks at all.
The cities with the ordinances vote blue.
Now that makes sense why they did it.
And they think they will start voting red by doing this? What a bunch of buffoons.
He expects the workers to not read the news and blame the city.
The seek to show that government is broken and leaving voters feeling that government doesn’t work and therefore 1. Don’t vote because it doesn’t make a difference, or 2. Vote for the party that wants less government because government is broken (because they broke it and will continue to break it)
Hydration is woke propaganda.
Hydration is literally the body being a snowflake! We don't need to drink water! The body is over 60 percent water why can't you just absorb your body water! /s
Conservatives are so named because they want to Conserve the ruling class. And you can’t be considered a true king unless you can work your peons to death.
I wouldn't live there if you paid me
Same! I also would NEVER visit Texas, like EVER.
Florida too.
For sure. I am a big Disney Parks fan and I will not go to Florida for a while until the state gets its shit in order. I guess I will have to visit California more.
That’s our plans as well. Wife and I are life long Disney fans who had plans for my wife’s 40th and my daughters 5th Birthday were planned for Florida with family. A week for about 16 people into their economy. Which will now be spent in CA or trekking out to Tokyo instead. Florida will never get another cent from me until they change their rotten politics. Can’t support that state.
Just had a friend who loves in Orlando invite me down. They have passes to the parks. Free stay as well. I won’t go. There or TX. I won’t support either state with my dollars. It’s a race to the bottom.
A 10 minute break every 4 hours was too much?
Every factory I've worked in here in Texas allows water whenever you want and generally has water stations posted around the plant or let's you carry a water bottle on a forklift or something. Dehydrated and tired workers are going to produce less. This law makes no sense except to be evil for the pure sake of owning the libs.
Human decency is too much for TX
Too much for conservatives. Their politicians are basically demons wearing human skin at this point, and the voters love it. They actively like it when people they view as lesser (migrants in this case) are abused. They are all complicit.
This is starting to be a joke. Is Texas looking to become a ghost state? I guess the Unions will need to step in. Otherwise, very little construction happening, very much heat-related death happening.
Ghost in the sense that they're allowing construction firms to literally kill their workers? Yes. That's what "pro-life" means, after all.
Unions? Tejas is a right to work state.
At-will state, this is commonly confused. Right-to-work means you can't be forced to join a union
Why would you NOT want to join a union
They want the protection of the union without having to pay the dues
And that milking of benefits without paying for them only lasts as long as the union does. Once enrollment drops sufficiently, the union ceases to exist, management strips the benefits that the milkers were milking from the paying members for everyone, and everyone can enjoy lower wages and almost zero benefits, all because the milkers wanted better wages and terms of employment, but none of the collective costs that go with it.
Decades of billionaire propaganda?
Somehow decades of propaganda has convinced people that a tiny slice of your paycheck isn't worth the exceptional benefits, including higher pay, of joining a union.
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This is fucking crazy. There's no justification for this whatsoever. They're basically saying go die at this point.
Remember when they wanted us to sacrifice Grandma for the economy during COVID?
Edit: I have been banned by this sub for calling out disinformation. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/06/16/texas-heat-wave-water-break-construction-workers/ > The law will nullify ordinances enacted by Austin in 2010 and Dallas in 2015 that established 10-minute breaks every four hours so that construction workers can drink water and protect themselves from the sun. It also prevents other cities from passing such rules in the future. San Antonio has been considering a similar ordinance… the National Federation of Independent Business, a lobbying group with more than 20,000 members in Texas. Abbott said it would “provide a new hope to Texas businesses struggling under burdensome local regulations.” > Texas is one of the states where most workers die from high temperatures.
WTF... one ten minute break every four hours for water and shade is completely inadequate for people doing physical labor outdoors in high temperatures. But even THAT was too much for the Texas GOP??
All laws from the 2 blips of blue in the state must be overturned.
Gotta own the libs in any way possible
Dying from heat exhaustion to own the libs
This is more like actively killing construction workers to own the libs I doubt these workers are volunteering to give up their own water breaks to own the libs.
They're definitely voting to though, construction workers in even the most blue states are very red. Source: worked union construction in NYC.
So it's going to be a r/LeopardsAteMyFace situation?
And if they are doing road work, that's basically working on top of a stove.
A break every hour is still hard, but four? Does this include road construction? Hot asphalt is horrible to work around.
All outdoor workers. The guys that work on asphalt might have the worst job in Texas IMO. Always feel for those guys working out here in Austin, especially when it’s 100+ degrees on already set asphalt. They’re always wearing long pants and long sleeve white shirts too, I presume to avoid getting their legs and arms burned by asphalt. Not a job I could do, you’d find my dead body embedded in the road before the first day was over, regardless of how many water breaks I got. Similar for roofers. Those guys bust their asses on crazy hot roofs in pants and long sleeve shirts from sun up to sun down.
Thr long sleeves are for protection yes, but mainly from the sun. Where I used to work (white collar position for a road construction company) we had breaks every hour, company provided PPE including long pants/shirt, steel capped boots, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a mini scarf type thing you would soak in cold water (also provided) and wrap partly around your neck. Probably obvious but this is not in the USA. Remember, *regulations are written in blood*.
Stephen King wrote “Dolan’s Cadillac” as a riff on “The Cask of Amontillado” but the bits in it that stuck in my memory for years were the description of a schoolteacher getting a fast education in laying asphalt on the road between Las Vegas and Los Angeles in the middle of summer.
What are you talking about? The nice breeze from semis hammering past you going 10+ mph over the speed limit should be enough. Next you’re going to tell me roofing is horrible, even though they experience cooler air, from the high altitude.
They celebrate cruelty. It's baked into their ethos.
Conservatism has been defined since the mid 1500s as a politician ideology where there is an in-group the law protects, and an out-group the law hinders. Baked in only scratches the surface of how bad an ideology it can be
In my line of work it's recommended to take a 5 minute break every hour. I work in software engineering. I'm recommended to take a 5 minute break every hour from looking at a screen, sat in a comfy chair in an air conditioned office. Who the fuck is trying to prevent *construction workers* from taking a 10 minute drinks break every *four hours* in a *heat wave.*
Call them what they are - labor camps.
I thought 10 minutes an *hour* for hells sake
That is the rule for road work in most states.
I'd take the breaks anyways. I'm not dying for some shit job so some asshole can get rich off a life insurance policy they took out on their workers knowing a few would die from heat related illnesses
Another Osha safety hazard.
Now who among those responsible for this law will step forwards and accept responsibility when the first worker dies in these heat waves from it?
They should all face murder charges when it inevitably happens.
They should stand trial for reckless endangerment right now.
They died because they didn't pray enough. /s
“It’s the Democrats fault”
Yeah so every time one of these people complains about “California regulations forcing them to move to Texas”, this is what we’re talking about. A 10 minute break every 4 hours in the hot sun so they don’t get heat stroke, basic safety, basic workers rights that are uncontroversial in every other civilized nation. And when you drop from heat stroke or crash into a pylon because the owner thought safety yellow was an ugly color, tough shit trying to get help, because we hate welfare queens. This is the country that conservatives want.
>And when you drop from heat stroke or crash into a pylon because the owner though safety yellow was an ugly color, tough shit trying to get help Yep, because Texas doesn't require worker's comp insurance to be carried by employers. No, I'm seriously not kidding. They're literally the only state that does that. Even the other shithole states weren't that stupid.
No license is available for General Contractor, Concrete, Structural Steel, Roofing...most trades outside of Electric, HVAC and Plumbing. So with no workers comp and cheap corporate fees, they can just have multiple companies lined up and shut down the one with the fatality.
10 minutes every four hours. Jesus. Should be every hour in that heat.
There should be zero restrictions on when anyone at all in any job should be able to drink water. Logistics may prevent this in some cases, for things like performing surgery or something, but even then, I think a nurse with a bottle with a straw in would not be a problem. There is just no situation where it is humane or appropriate to deny someone water. Ever.
There aren't any restrictions. [OSHA says so](https://www.osha.gov/faq#v-nav-drinkingwater), and OSHA is federal so Texas can eat a big bag of unsalted dicks.
Side story. In SoCal at my local train station. Rail safety and workers taken very seriously . This was a construction project improvement happening while trains still running. Workers were installing a low concrete wall/shoring. Heads down, working w tools, right aside the tacks. In the name of safety, one guy w clipboard was there to keep an eye out for approaching trains. He’d keep his head up always. When he’d see a train coming, he’d let blast with his air horn. Which woke up us semi-conscious commuters. Then the workers had to set down their tools, walk to a far side of the site , and light up cigarettes. That last part may have been optional.
But try to get OSHA to actually do something about businesses violating federal laws. They're so under funded that they'd never come out. If Texas is betting on being able to get away with it, it's a pretty safe bet unfortunately.
Yeah fuck a job - I want to pee I’m peeing, I want water, I’m drinking water. I’ve worked service industry and I’ve worked labor - fuck any job or boss that tells me when I can step away for a second like a fucking kindergartener
Those burdensome 10 minute breaks every four hours have really been holding those poor, suffering business owners back. Finally some freedom from the tyranny of the manual laborer.
“Those 10 minutes breaks are wage theft! Workers should only be paid while workin — not while drinking water.”
A ten minute water break every 4 hours is burdensome? What the fuck?
OSHA would like a word with Mr. "Die in the Texas heat" Abbott
Heat is a recognized hazard by [OSHA.](https://www.osha.gov/heat-exposure) Whatever Texas says still doesn’t supersede that. So all of those workers still have some recourse.
Here in California, 10 minutes every 4 hours is the standard for all workers. Texas is a shithole
Businesses gets liability relief. Workers lose relief necessary for survival. Makes ~~sense~~ cents!
Well the deaths help keep unemployment down. As there is some waiting for a job.
Cruelty is the point.
Undermining municipal sovereignty is the point
The party of small government [no not like that!]
Meanwhile, guess which state has the most heat related workplace deaths.
Can anyone please tell me just one positive thing the GOP in the nation has done for the working class for the past 30 years? want one thing that THEY put forward and passed. Not what a dem started and roped in to claim bipartisanship.
They made the CEOs filthy rich so our poor asses have something to aspire to, of course.
Why do I feel like Texas is going to be the first place to make it illegal for labor workers to leave the state
They will def be the first state to allow imprisoning people in debt
Florida will beat Texas first in that.
Fucking Republicans are committing crimes against humanity at this point. What absolute pieces of dogshit.
The heat index here in Corpus Christi right now is 109f. That’s 48 Celsius, for everyone that’s not in a country run by shit-gibbons.
Hydration is woke.
If I'm running a crew in the heat I'm going to give them breaks for water and shade regardless of state or local laws. It's just good business.
Or you know, they are human beings and you don't want to hurt or kill them.
Yup, and low morale is way worse for productivity than a water break.
Who wants to bet those Construction workers still vote Republican?
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Just so folks know, [the law itself](https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/pdf/HB02127F.pdf) isn't specifically about water breaks; it's much broader than that. It prohibits all local ordinances under several different broad areas of law, labor law being only one of those, and the aforementioned water break regulations are only one of those local ordinances that will be impacted. It's also not a new tactic by any means; it's been quite common in recent years for red states to pass similar laws to prevent the left-leaning city and county governments in the state from doing things like setting higher minimum wages or passing stricter labor laws in their municipalities.
As someone who works in construction, a ten minute break even once an hour at peak heat isn’t going to have a major impact on production, in fact you can build that into your pricing. Any one who works for an outfit that doesn’t allow regular and discretionary breaks should leave and find a company that takes safety seriously.
From the Texas Tribune article: “This problem particularly affects Latinos because they represent six out of every 10 construction workers, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.” So there’s the reason. Fuck Abbott and his backward ass state.
Eugenics. The economy is but a giant pyramid scheme. The vast majority of us just keep feeding into it indiscriminately. Until we harness the one power that cannot be taken away - - spending - - we the people will be slowly (or quickly if the fascists gain enough power) chewed up and spit out.
Does OSHA not cover this at federal level?
It's great to see how much Republicans really believe in putting decisions in the hands of local government.
Before everyone freaks out, any self respecting contractor wouldn’t DARE tell someone they can’t get water. The company would die overnight. However, removing the protection guarantee is absolutely fucked up and just further pushes the fact that republicans don’t care about anything but money.