Senate Bill 14 moves on to conference with House amendments limiting the impact on water breaks for construction workers and Fair Chance Hiring
AUSTIN, TX – Today, the Texas House passed Senate Bill 14 on 3rd reading, a proposal designed to limit cities and municipalities from enacting local worker protections. Proposed amendments aiming to protect water breaks for construction workers and fair chance hirinf ordinances passed. Amendments limiting the impact on cities’ ability to expand non-discrimination ordinances, paid sick leave, and other worker protections failed to pass.
Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Workers Defense Emily Timm said:
“Make no mistake that SB 14 is the biggest assault on workers rights passed at the state level in recent times. SB 14 will have a statewide impact that will tie the hands of local governments from providing critical employment discrimination protections, access to paid leave, predictable scheduling, and other basic worker protections.”
“Allies in the Texas House understood what was at stake for workers in Texas and offered amendments shielding water breaks for construction workers, Fair Chance Hiring, and pushed for cities to be allowed to pass their own local versions of the CROWN act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of hair texture or style. Hard working Texans deserve better from their lawmakers and the fight against SB 14 is a demonstration of exactly that. Advocates for workers’ rights like Workers Defense should have never been put in the position of having to fight to keep such basic protections for working families in Texas. ”
“Construction workers from across the state went to lengths of thirst striking in front of the Capitol to shed light on the impact SB 14 would have on the basic human right to take a water break. These same communities, like many Texans, continue to reel from the ongoing pandemic, winter storm Uri, and an economic downtown. We’re thankful for the hard work of our allies inside and outside the Capitol to stop this attack on workers and will continue to push for our lawmakers to focus on the real needs of Texans as this bill moves to conference in the final days of this Legislative Session.”
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Workers Defense Action Fund is a statewide organization dedicated to building power for low-wage workers, people of color, and immigrants and across Texas to win fair employment conditions and a better quality of life for working families through legislative advocacy, voter education, and voter engagement
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