What Workers Could Gain from the Md. Essential Workers' Protection Act

Despite strong pushback from the business community and moving late in the legislative session, the Maryland Essential Workers’ Protection Act made it through both chambers by Sine Die. The emergency measure was substantially amended, but advocates say essential workers can still meaningfully benefit from the provisions that survived.

Above all, the bill’s significance comes from the clarity it could provide on workers’ rights, which has been obscure throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. More specifically, it would provide workers a recourse if their rights are violated by requiring the Maryland Secretary of Labor to establish coronavirus-specific safety regulations, also known as an “Emergency Temporary Standard.”

Under the Trump administration, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration refused to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard, making it hard for workers to demand safe working conditions during the pandemic.

While several states — such as Virginia, California and Oregon —enacted their own temporary standards through executive orders or state agencies, Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan (R) said last summer that a standard was unnecessary because local health officials have the jurisdiction to shut down unsafe facilities.

Read more: https://www.marylandmatters.org/2021/04/21/what-workers-could-gain-from-md-essential-workers-protection-act/