Health Advocates, Unions, and Workers Call For Strong Worker Heat Protection Rules as Soon as Possible
[ALBUQUERQUE] – On Monday June 2nd, a coalition of health advocates, unions, workers, and community leaders gathered for a press conference to call on the New Mexico Environment Department and the Environmental Improvement Board to approve the strongest possible heat standard for workers. The event was held at the American Federation of Teachers New Mexico (AFT NM) office in Albuquerque. The group represents a growing coalition of 49 different organizations, called Safe Work For All, representing tens of thousands of New Mexicans calling for protection from extreme heat that has become the new norm due to climate change.
Earlier this spring, the New Mexico Environment Department petitioned the Environmental Improvement Board to move forward with a statewide standard to protect workers from exposure to temperatures that cause heat illness in the workplace. The rule, called the New Mexico Heat Illness and Injury Prevention Rule, would require workers to have access to common-sense measures, including water, adequate paid rest breaks, and access to cooling infrastructure. Safe Work For All estimates that over 247,000 workers are currently at risk of heat-related illness and injury in the state.
“We are standing here in solidarity because we believe that no one should have to risk their health, or their life, just to earn a paycheck,” said Justin Garoutte, Conservation Voters New Mexico Education Fund Climate & Energy Advocate. “As our state gets hotter, as summers grow longer, and as temperatures climb higher, the danger to New Mexico’s workers grows with it. From construction sites and chile fields to commercial kitchens and classrooms, workers across our state are being pushed to their physical limits. We’ve seen the consequences—heat illness, ER visits, hospitalizations, and even fatalities. This proposed rule is about common-sense protections: water, paid rest breaks, shade, emergency response, and training. These aren’t extreme demands. These are basic rights—and they’re long overdue.”
The past several years, schools have struggled to adapt to longer heat waves and higher temperatures, exposing both students and teachers to heat without remedy. Students and teachers also have voiced concerns about temperatures exceeding 80°F on school buses and in classrooms, well above state code.
“We are here today to strongly support the proposed worker heat protection rule,” said Whitney Holland, AFT NM. “From maintenance crews and bus drivers to cafeteria workers and groundskeepers, school employees regularly work in outdoor or uncooled environments. Inside our schools, far too many educators and educational assistants teach in classrooms without air conditioning, poor ventilation, and temperatures that climb well beyond safe levels. This is not just a workplace issue; it’s a matter of basic dignity and safety. No one should have to risk heat exhaustion just to do their job.”
Schools without air conditioning, which includes 70% of Albuquerque public schools, rely on evaporative coolers, which are less effective at higher temperatures. Regular exposure to extreme heat has also been found to increase levels of stress, which strain student attention spans, lower test scores, and increase incidents of violence and bullying. For educators, extreme heat negatively impacts faculty retention, further straining morale and the school system.
“What if, in a perfect world, educators had a system in which we could document, call or report systems that weren’t working, and then get them fixed?” said Sarah Hager, Cleveland Middle School arts teacher. “That’s actually it. We’re not asking for a lot. We are not being crazy or radical in our demand for change. We’re simply asking for the bare minimum to be met when it comes to working conditions. We stand in support of the worker heat protection rule and we stand in solidarity with our partners to continue doing what’s best for kids.”
“Starting in June 2024, after hours of driving a bus without functioning air conditioning, this driver became overheated and developed a pounding headache, one of the key symptoms of heat exhaustion,” said Shelley Mann-Lev, Executive Director of Healthy Climate NM, speaking for an anonymous Communications Worker of America Union Bus Driver. “In early September, the same issue happened again, only worse, and then the following week. When they asked for help, they were told they’d need a doctor’s note to prove that the heat was affecting their ability to work. Only then was their route changed. By spring of 2025, the driver was once again placed in a bus with ineffective cooling. Despite already having documentation from medical professionals and employee health services stating that they must be assigned to a bus with proper air conditioning, the driver was told they needed to begin the process all over again. This story underscores exactly why New Mexico needs the Worker Heat Protection Rule. We need a system that protects workers before it’s too late.”
Heat is the leading cause of death among all hazardous weather conditions in the US. Workers in New Mexico in industries at the highest risk for heat-related illness, death, accident and reduced productivity include almost 80,000 construction workers, oil and gas field workers, almost 20,000 agricultural workers, educational workers, restaurant and fast food workers and others. Farm workers, as well as construction workers – especially roofers and cement masons – also often face situational and psychosocial stressors: feeling like they need to keep working regardless of the conditions in order to get paid and support their family, lack of access to healthcare, poor housing without air conditioning, and racism, discrimination, and fear of family separation.
“Workers should be able to support themselves and their families without putting their lives and health at risk,” said Stephanie Welch, Workers’ Rights Director, New Mexico Center on Law & Poverty. “This is especially true of agricultural workers whose work feeds and supports everyone else. But agricultural workers are 35 times more likely to die from heat than workers doing other types of work. The New Mexico Environment Department’s proposed regulation will protect workers from preventable injuries and deaths. They include flexibility for employers to create their own plans to protect workers from heat. They come with extensive information, data, and support for employers to implement safety measures. The proposed regulations benefit from the experience of the seven other states, including Colorado, that have already implemented heat protections. Heat-related illness is preventable. Employers need to provide safe conditions to ensure workers go home safely to their families. This is achievable with New Mexico Environment Department’s proposed regulation.”
“As someone who grew up working outside in South Texas, I know the impacts of extreme heat on workers,” said Carlos Matutes, State Director for GreenLatinos New Mexico. “Here in New Mexico, the vast majority of workers impacted by extreme heat are Latine. We make up more than 80% of farm workers here, 64% of construction workers, and a disproportionately high representation in both landscaping and oil and gas production. Heat injury has devastating impacts on not only the workers themselves but on their families and communities. Latine workers are 3 times as likely to die from heat on the job, compared to non-Latine workers. Is this what we want for our state? For our communities? Do we value the humanity and dignity of our people more than a slight uptick in profits? We strongly encourage employers to implement these worker heat protection rules on their own, and ask the New Mexico Environment Department to continue putting workers’ needs at the forefront.”
Contact
Molly Taylor, CVNMEF Chief Operating Officer | molly@cvnm.org, 505.554.4115
John Dyrcz, State Affiliate Political Organizer, American Federation of Teachers New Mexico | john@nmaft.org, 505.554.8679
Sierra Ludington, New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty | sierra@nmpovertylaw.org, 505.300.1099
Shelley Mann-Lev, Executive Director, Healthy Climate New Mexico | shelleymannlev1@gmail.com, 505.946.8676
Carlos Matutes, New Mexico State Director, GreenLatinos | (505) 926-1244, carlosmatutes@greenlatinos.org
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CVNMEF is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization connecting the people of New Mexico to their political power to protect our air, land, water, wildlife and communities for a healthy Land of Enchantment. CVNMEF does this by mobilizing people to advocate on policy, enhancing the voting process, encouraging people to vote, cultivating conservation leaders and amplifying the voices of those most affected.