The AFL-CIO; the American Federation of Teachers; National Nurses United; AFSCME; the United Food and Commercial Workers; the United Steelworkers; the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union-UFCW; and SEIU issued the following statement on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) removing the COVID-19 emergency temporary standard (ETS) for health care workers…

“The safety of workers, customers and all New Yorkers is our primary concern as the winter COVID-19 surge is upon us. Grocery, pharmacy and retail workers are at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 because they have public-facing jobs. And many are essential workers at stores we have relied on throughout the pandemic. They are in contact with hundreds of people every day – and in some places, workers may be in contact with more than a thousand people a day. Today’s announcement by Governor Hochul will help keep our members safe as well as the general public. We support these measures, and we know they will save lives…

“This vaccine agreement with Tyson shows just how critical it is for companies to meet with unions before making unilateral mandates. We’re proud to have secured paid time off for workers to get the vaccine and additional paid time off should they experience any symptoms, vaccine locations at our facilities, and a job exchange plan to ensure workers with medical and religious exemptions can maintain employment in areas with low interpersonal contact. This historic agreement will protect workers and our communities, and is a clear blueprint many other industries can and should follow.” - Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).