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Oregon approves law protecting warehouse workers

Teamsters Union says rule is needed to ensure that quotas don’t interfere with safety.

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Ben Ames
By Ben AmesApr 04, 2024
Ben Ames
Ben Ames has spent 20 years as a journalist since starting out as a daily newspaper reporter in Pennsylvania in 1995. From 1999 forward, he has focused on business and technology reporting for a number of trade journals, beginning when he joined Design News and Modern Materials Handling magazines. Ames is author of the trail guide "Hiking Massachusetts" and is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism.
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A new Oregon law will improve worker safety in the e-commerce and warehouse industries by ensuring that workplace quotas do not interfere with workers’ rights and safety standards, supporters say.

The Teamsters Union is celebrating the governor’s signing of the law, formerly known as HB 4127, saying it will protect warehouse workers’ rights and improve safety standards.

The union also said it is advocating for similar laws nationwide, saying they are needed to address unrealistic quotas and hazardous safety conditions. Other states that have passed similar legislation include California, Connecticut, New York, Washington, and Minnesota, the Teamsters said.

“Oregon warehouse workers have long been subjected to unsafe working conditions due to secretive and unrealistic production quotas generated using arbitrary computer algorithms,” Mark Davison, Teamsters Western Region International Vice President and President of Joint Council 37, said in a release. “Governor Tina Kotek's signing of HB 4127 is a significant stride toward ensuring the safety and well-being of workers, and it addresses the exploitative quota systems used by profit-driven companies like Amazon.”

Amazon declined to comment.

 

 

ArticleRegulation/GovernmentEditorialTransportationOther ServicesSC Services
teamsters united
ArticleRegulation/GovernmentEditorialTransportationOther ServicesSC Services
teamsters united

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