Trapped at work during a severe storm that caused multiple tornadoes, 6 Amazon workers in Illinois and 8 workers in a candle factory in Kentucky died tragically at the end of 2021, preventable deaths. Unless workers have a union, many people have no right to refuse unsafe work Even in the face of extreme danger.

As we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will also be no refuge to avoid the ongoing danger of coronavirus exposure Millions of frontline workers Their work often requires face-to-face work and long hours Unventilated space, Frequent contact with colleagues or the public, and does not guarantee paid vacation or health insurance.

Policy errors have led to the deaths of countless workers

At the beginning of the epidemic, EPI research Weak labor protection, weakened workers’ power and economic inequality are causing working people, especially low-wage workers — especially women and workers of color — to bear the greatest price of the pandemic, issuing warnings.

Research on COVID-19 mortality data reflects the devastating impact of the failure of policies to protect frontline workers. Among the many factors that contribute to racial differences in COVID-19 mortality, there is a difference between who can and cannot work safely from home during the pandemic.Data Display Remote work during the pandemic is more common for workers with advanced degrees, and less likely for black and Hispanic workers, regardless of education level. If all U.S. residents experience the same COVID-19 mortality rate as college-educated whites, then there will be Total COVID-19 deaths among adults reduced by 48% in 2020 The number of deaths among blacks and browns aged 25 to 64 has decreased by 89%. Although we may be experiencing the largest workplace death toll and the largest mass disability event in American history, even these disturbing numbers are only part of the story.

The United States still lacks a centralized system for tracking the number of exposures or deaths in pandemic workplaces, and there is growing evidence that official COVID-19 deaths across the country are representative of Grossly underestimated. Data on workplace deaths released by the U.S. Census Bureau at the end of 2021 Excludes workers who died after contracting COVID-19 at workA report from the Congressional Coronavirus Selection Subcommittee in October 2021 shows In 2020, the infection rate and death rate of meat processing industry workers will be at least three times as high as previously expected, While noting that the available data is still incomplete.Union and worker advocates continue to try to fill the vacuum in thought-provoking ways Digital Memorial List names, sometimes even faces Workers lost due to COVID-19, and Crowdsourced database Used to report the number of deaths of workers.

Too many workplaces are becoming more and more dangerous, not more and more dangerous

Entering 2022, we are facing a dangerous juncture. We are aware of the fatal risks COVID-19 brings to workers, especially blacks, browns and immigrant workers. We know very well what effective measures employers can take to mitigate these risks. Some union workers The right to force employers to maintain the recommended elements of the infection control plan, including ventilation, social distancing, high-quality personal protective equipment (PPE), paid leave, and on-site testing and contact tracing. But most workers still lack the ability to work safely, and now many workplaces are becoming more and more dangerous, not more and more dangerous.

Unions and advocates call for Comprehensive and enforceable COVID-19 workplace safety standards Since the beginning of the epidemic. Facts have proved that voluntary employer “guidance” is ineffective, and many employers have cancelled safety measures taken during the pre-pandemic phase. COVID spread surges internally Amazon warehouse rolls back early COVID safety policy Examples include internal testing, extended paid breaks, social distancing, and wearing masks.While encouraging employees to vaccinate, few retail employers have adopted (or restored) other Workplace safety precautions during the surge of Omicron variants, Undermine progress and endanger workers and the public again.Meat processing workers continue to report to management Pressure to continue working when sick, A big company like Delta Air Lines Reduce emergency paid leave Just when the workers need it most.

Employer pressure Lead at the end of the year Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reduced quarantine or quarantine recommendations For workers who are sick or exposed, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) closed in 2021 Withdraw its emergency provisional standards (ETS) for healthcare. OSHA is important Vaccine or test task To be effective in 2022, but not yet included Standards for key measures such as ventilation, high-quality PPE or social distancingAccording to the Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) of 2020, some employers require emergency sick leave, but Congress allowed FFCRA to expire one year ago.Depending on where they live, some workers may be covered Emergency or local COVID-19 protection, But almost all of these measures are temporary.

The union strategy and collective actions of workers provide a roadmap for ensuring work safety

Although the union continues to call Comprehensive federal OSHA workplace safety standards that all workers deserve, It is becoming more and more obvious that if you do not empower more workers in American workplaces, you will not be able to escape the ongoing pandemic. Vaccines are an important part of pandemic workplace safety, but at the same time allowing employers to give up other workplace protection measures will only weaken the effectiveness of vaccines. The implementation of the new OSHA vaccine or testing tasks in 2022 must be considered an important part of the COVID-19 workplace safety plan, and workers must be involved in order to be effective. The good news is that we have an organization and policy roadmap to follow.

We can learn from its effectiveness OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Interim Standards for Health Care (ETS), it saved the lives of nurses, doctors, staff and patients within six months of its entry into force in 2021. The first national mandatory standard for employers to implement the COVID-19 hazard control plan, And will make its regulations permanent and extend it to Other industries originally scheduled.

We can also learn from the highly unionized aviation industry, where hierarchical security agreements including high-quality air filtration, vacation policies, and mask requirements temporarily make aircraft cabins “One of the most controlled environments in public life” And one of the safest workplaces.We can learn from Comprehensive COVID safety plan negotiatable Entertainment Industry Union Ensure the safe reopening of the stage and set from Broadway to Hollywood.We can learn from examples of collective action taken by workers who have used it across the country Union safety committee Negotiate COVID protection, exercise Right to coordinate activities Refuse unsafe work, Win new paid sick leave The benefits combined with the implementation of the vaccine mission, and Organize a new union Get a place in the development of workplace safety policies.

Without federal safety standards, workers are organizing and the states must take action

Workers have to fight for their lives Use collective action to protect each other Since the beginning of the epidemic. In the absence of strong federal COVID safety standards, workers will have to work harder than ever in 2022 to incentivize employers, State and city take action. Legislators who are concerned about workers’ safety can initiate a new legislative meeting in the following ways Review legal options for protection and empowerment of workers And promote Recommended policies to protect the safety and health of workers during the COVID crisis. States can adopt, learn from and improve implementation Their own worker protection standards. Countries can immediately Invest in U.S. Relief Program Fund Expand vaccine promotion and access to rapid testing, high-quality masks and paid sick leave opportunities.

Countries can also ensure that the unemployment system operates as planned during a deadly pandemic.Workers who reject unsafe working conditions that their employers have failed to resolve Should not be disqualified from receiving unemployment benefits, States should consider refusal to engage in unsafe work as a “justified reason” for resignation.because Strikes are often necessary to enforce safety and health actions, All states should provide unemployment insurance for strikers.

With the state legislature and the governor continuing to block safety measures and put lives at risk, workers will have to rely on each other and continue to organize for collective survival.existing Organizer training program, Support network, Resource Guide, Digital tools, and COVID workplace safety expertise Unions established throughout the pandemic can help, and those concerned about the health and safety of workers must do everything possible to expand their union organization capacity in the coming year, especially in states with little or no worker protection. Workers’ lives depend on the rights of the organization, Passing the “Protection of the Right to Organise (PRO) Act” in 2022 becomes even more important.

It is too late to save lives that have been lost due to preventable workplace coronavirus exposure, but it is not too late to prevent more lives. The only way to escape the seemingly endless pandemic—and the fastest way to recover the economy—is to stop the spread of the coronavirus. By 2022, the way to control transmission begins with more workers gaining the power to demand safe work.