NATIONAL POLITICS
Researchers at Data for Progress published new polling showing overwhelming and bipartisan support for the new federal heat rule proposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
“This federal heat rule is more popular than almost any other policy you could poll. The only reason we don’t have heat protections yet is because politicians like Greg Abbott are so chock-full of corporate donations that they can’t listen to their own voters,” said Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas). “Protecting workers from the heat unites voters across the aisle in a way that virtually nothing else does. With such overwhelming support from Americans, let’s finish the job.”
“This polling shows that not only do heat protections save lives, but that the overwhelming majority of voters support them,” said UFW Foundation Interim CEO Erica Lomeli Corcoran. “Common-sense protections like fresh water, paid breaks, shade, and heat training should already be federal standards. As farm workers continue to be on the frontlines of climate change and extreme heat, we urge the Biden-Harris Administration to propose and finalize these federal protections as swiftly as possible.”
“OSHA’s proposed heat rule is about as popular as any policy can get, with 90% of voters in support of requiring employers to protect their workers from extreme heat,” said Grace Adcox, Senior Climate Strategist at Data for Progress. “These policies unite voters across race, gender, age, and partisan demographics, with vast majorities favoring accessible drinking water, shade, mandatory rest breaks, and more.”
Key Takeaways from the Data for Progress Polling: 9 in 10 voters support OSHA’s recent proposed heat rule.
A strong bipartisan majority (84%) of voters are concerned about workers facing extreme heat on the job.
Voters strongly support additional provisions to the rule — including a third-party hotline where workers can anonymously report violations of the rule, paid heat breaks, and more.
The new federal heat rule proposed by OSHA will protect around 35 million American workers who face extreme heat on the job outdoors and indoors. The heat rule would finally give American workers the right to rest, shade, and water, requiring 15-minute paid rest breaks every two hours when temperatures exceed a heat index of 90 degrees.
One year ago, Casar held an all-day thirst strike with Texas workers on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to urge the Administration to protect workers.
About the Poll: Data for Progress conducted the survey of 1,247 U.S. likely voters nationally using web panel respondents from July 22 to 23, 2024. The sample was weighted to be representative of likely voters by age, gender, education, race, geography, and 2020 recalled vote. The survey was conducted in English. The margin of error associated with the sample size is ±3% and larger for sub-groups. For more information, please visit dataforprogress.org/ our-methodology.
Congressman Greg Casar represents Texas’s 35th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which runs down I-35 from East Austin to Hays County to the West Side of San Antonio. A labor organizer and son of Mexican immigrants, Casar serves as the Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for the 118th Congress. He also serves on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the Committee on Agriculture.
