Phoenix Sky Harbor workers call for more protections from extreme heat

Some workers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport say they need more protections from extreme heat.

The Phoenix City Council this spring unanimously passed an ordinance requiring breaks, shade and water for many outdoor workers at the airport.

But unions representing airport workers say they want more protections for people who spend time inside hot jet bridges or planes.

Speaking at a rally at the airport Tuesday, Linda Ressler said she was treated for heat stroke last summer after spending her shift cleaning parked airplanes with the air conditioning shut off.

“We didn’t get to take breaks and we were told not to take water onto the plane. Sometimes I would drink water left by the passengers because that’s all that we had access to,” Ressler said.

The Service Employees International Union wants these protections beyond just Phoenix. They’re calling on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to confirm new heat safety rules for indoor and outdoor workers nationwide.

The Biden administration in July proposed new OSHA heat guidelines. Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su visited Arizona last week to promote the plan.

“This standard would, when there are certain temperatures that are reached, trigger certain protections. Employers would have to make sure workers have shade, have cool drinking water, have the ability to rest and recover," Su told KJZZ’s “The Show.”

Su said the rules would set a national standard for heat safety, but cities or states could enact additional protections. OSHA will be taking public comments on the proposed heat rules before they go into effect.