News
ISSA Advocacy Weekly Recap – July 26, 2019
July 26, 2019
Welcome to the ISSA Advocacy Weekly Recap! This is ISSA’s regular roundup of the latest public policy related issues impacting the cleaning industry.
Top Stories
ISSA Calls for Passage of USMCA
ISSA signed onto a letter with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and more than 600 other groups in support of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). This is important for not only manufacturers of cleaning products but for our cleaning service providers who will benefit from the innovations and price competition resulting from passage of USMCA. Read more.
Policy Trade-Offs to Consider as Minimum Wage Bill Makes its Way to Senate
The US$15 minimum wage bill now moves to the U.S. Senate, where it fares “an uncertain fate.” Aside from the policy tradeoffs we reported on last week, InsideSources points out three additional trade-offs to pay attention to:
- A tax increase on low-income workers, due to higher taxes accompanying higher wages
- Fewer opportunities for young and part-time workers, since pay is tied to productivity
- An unfair competitive advantage for big businesses that can absorb higher costs and automate some jobs, which smaller businesses wouldn’t be able to afford.
Federal Bills Addressing Accurate Labeling May Make a Reentrance
Following the lead of California and New York, some states and localities are considering requiring ingredient disclosure and labeling for cleaning products, among other products. In response, there have been efforts to “establish of a national standard for consumer product labels.” In June 2018, Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Kurth Schrader (D-OR) introduced The Accurate Labels Act (S. 3019 and H.R. 6022), and it is “anticipated that these bills will be reintroduced this summer,” according to the National Association of Manufacturers. Proponents argue this would ensure clear and accurate information is provided to customers.
Industry Associations Argue New Rule Compromises Fairness and Vitality of Disclosure Protections
To prevent competitors from discovering the identity of their chemicals, companies often file Confidential Business Information claims with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act “require the EPA to establish a plan, including the procedures for substantiating and reviewing these claims.” On April 23, The EPA proposed a new rule (RIN: 2070-AK21) describing this plan. In response, Industry associations argue that the new rule compromises the fairness and vitality of disclosure protections, and ask the EPA to treat claims in a manner consistent with the statute.
What Should Employers be Doing to Highlight the Importance of Preventing Sexual Harassment?
“Within organizations, human resource departments need to maintain [preventing sexual harassment] as a priority, by offering bystander intervention training, having clear zero-tolerance policies on sexual harassment, and responding dutifully to complaints,” according to Harvard Business Review.
