TRIA Signs Coalition For Workplace Safety Letter

Tile Roofing Industry Alliance Lobbyist, Craig Brightup, has provided the latest government relations update and activities on the following from May 2024:

OSHA Worker Walkaround Rule

On May 2, business groups led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sued OSHA to halt its Worker Walkaround Representative Designation Process Rule that goes into effect May 31 and allows non-employee third-parties, including union reps or plaintiffs’ attorneys, to accompany OSHA compliance officers during inspections. Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), who TRIA met with last month, introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution on May 16 to stop the rule and TRIA and NRCA signed the Coalition for Workplace Safety letter of support to House members.

Other Regulatory Updates

- OSHA Heat Standard – OSHA’s Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) recommended that OSHA move forward with its Heat Standard.

- OSHA Hazard Communication Standard – On May 20, OSHA published revisions to the HazCom Standard to better align it with the UN Globally Harmonized System of Classification and clarify parts from the last revision. The final rule is effective July 20 and poses new concerns for chemical manufacturers, importers, distributors, and downstream users.

- FTC Noncompetes Ban – The Federal Trade Commission’s Noncompete Rule will be effective in August and the Chamber and others are challenging it in federal court.

- DOL Overtime Regulations – Revised OT regs are effective July 1, raising the OT salary threshold for certain employees from the current $35,568 a year to $43,888 on July 1 and $58,656 at the start of 2025. Per DOL, new OT thresholds will cover an estimated 4 million salaried workers.

- DOL Independent Contractor Rule – The Coalition for Workforce Innovation, Associated Builders & Contractors and others have sued to block DOL’s IC Rule in federal court. There are now five active lawsuits challenging the rule which went into effect on March 11.

- NLRB Joint-Employer Rule – President Biden vetoed a Congressional Review Act resolution to stop the National Labor Relations Board’s joint employer rule on May 3. And on May 7, the NLRB appealed a decision by a federal court blocking the rule to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

U.S. Chamber Labor Relations Committee

The U.S. Chamber’s Labor Relations Committee met May 2-3 where it was noted that OSHA has posted data from Injury and Illness Forms 300/301 in addition to Form 300A from employers with 100 or more employees in high-hazard industries. Also, the Senate HELP Committee won’t move soon to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) despite House passage with 378 votes because Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) hasn’t made WIOA a priority.

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For more information on the TRIA Alliance and our Government Relations efforts, please visit our website at www.tileroofing.org.