One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
A New Bill Could Crack Down On Warehouse Workers' Job Injuries
A state Assembly bill aim to protect warehouse workers.
(
Kyle Stokes
/
LAist
)
Labor leaders and politicians called on the state Senate Monday to pass a law requiring employers to notify warehouse distribution workers of their expected production quota upon hire or request.
Supporters say that AB 701 would crack down on frequent injury and the practice of denying workers meals or breaks because of these quotas.
Yesenia Barrera, a former Amazon warehouse worker, says she was unable to keep up with boxes coming in quickly at her job. The boxes struck her in the face. A supervisor took her to get a cold washcloth then expected her to resume work.
“I was never asked for a moment if I was okay,” she says. “I wasn't asked if I needed a moment. They just simply sent me off as soon as they could. And I went back into that same position.”
Ron Herrera, president of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, says workers want the state to crack down on employers that endanger workers and violate their rights in this way.
“They're asking for state enforcement agencies to come out to warehouses and stop the abuses,” Herrera says.
AB 701 has passed the full Assembly and would require the state labor commissioner's office to investigate these violations. It would require the agency to report production quota data on warehouses with an above average rate of injury to the legislature by 2023.
Sponsored message
You can read the full bill here.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
