Letter to Hon. Marty Walsh, Secretary of Labor, and Hon. Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation - Reps. Torres, DeLauro, Price, Aguilar, Sherrill Ask Administration For Additional Protections for Warehouse Workers

Dear Secretary Walsh and Secretary Buttigieg:

We write to you today to urge you to protect low-income communities and workers
from shouldering the burden of national supply chain disruptions. As you know, the
Biden Administration announced this fall that the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los
Angeles will be operating 24/7, where 40 percent of the country's imports pass
through. We request additional information about the preparation that led to this
decision and the planning in place to mitigate negative impacts to low-income
communities and warehouse workers in the Inland Empire, where much of this cargo
will be going.

We recognize the supply chain challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and
the effect they have on our economy. As you know, President Biden mentioned that
the International Longshore and Warehouse Union has announced its members are
willing to work extra shifts in support of round the clock operations at the Ports of
L.A. and Long Beach. We are glad the Administration is working with unions during
a time when so many workers are being pushed to work increased hours.

However, most goods moved through the ports are funneled to warehouses in the
Inland Empire, and we are concerned about the impact on those workers. Without
careful planning, the decision to create a 24/7 work schedule at the ports may have
unintended consequences at warehouses including dangerous conditions for local
workers, many of whom are not unionized. In 2020, the logistics industry employed
230,008 warehouse workers, 15.3 percent of total employment in the Inland Empire.
Many of those workers are non-union, meaning they do not have the same fair
working conditions that union workers do. Additionally, many of these workers are
hired as "temporary' workers, sometimes for years on end. For example, 40 percent
of temporary warehouse workers are immigrants, over 70 percent are Latino, and
about 70 percent are under the age of 40. Many of these individuals are from lowincome communities of color and we do not want them overlooked.

There also remain ongoing safety concerns at Southern California warehouses.
Recently, the Los Angeles Times released a report about dangerously hot conditions
for workers in Southern California warehouses. This is one of many situations where
the "fair working conditions" of warehouse workers has been overlooked1
.
As President Biden affirmed in January, "Ensuring the health and safety of workers
is a national priority and a moral imperative" (Executive Order on Protecting Worker
Health and Safety). We believe the Administration plays a critical role in protecting
local communities and workers as it works to address supply chain issues.
That is why we request responses to the following questions:
* What is the Department of Labor doing to ensure temporary warehouse
workers, especially those without a union, have safe working conditions? How
is the Department working with the California Division of Occupational
Safety and Health to accomplish these goals?
* Does the Department of Labor track complaints by geographic area or by
industry made to the Wage and Hour Division? Have you seen an increase in
complaints since the announced changes at the ports?
* What enforcement mechanisms does the Department of Labor use to ensure
that warehouse workers are given necessities while on the job (ex: bathroom
access, correct working temperature, etc.), and that safety measures are not
being overlooked?
* When a state has a State OSHA Plan, what mechanisms does the Department
use to ensure compliance with the state plan?
* Has OSHA used its concurrent authorities to ensure the safety of workers in
California since the start of the pandemic?
* How is the Administration working to address the racial inequalities in the
logistics industry? For example, 86 percent of logistics workers in Riverside
and San Bernardino counties earn less than the basic living wage, where a
majority of workers were either Black or Latino.
* How has the Department of Transportation worked to keep the Department of
Labor involved in supply chain issues to ensure that workers are not being
overburdened?
* Did the Department of Transportation consult with the Department of Labor
on the best ways to ensure supply chain workers, specifically warehouse
workers, are a priority? If so, how?

We recognize the effort by the Biden Administration to address the supply chain
challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, and we urge the Administration to
do everything in its power to protect temporary warehouse workers who will be taking
on long burdensome shifts during this time. We thank you for your willingness to take
the lead in guaranteeing that there are measures in place to prevent these expanded
operations from harming residents and low-income communities.
Sincerely,