News

ISSA LARU—Happy 4th from ISSA Government Affairs

Welcome to the latest ISSA Legislative & Regulatory Update, a biweekly roundup of the public policy issues currently impacting the full cleaning supply chain. This update touches on the new ISSA Advocacy Fund impact report, Washington State banning PFAS, the introduction of legislation in the U.S. Senate targeting port unions, and more.

Want to stay informed about critical government affairs impacting the industry? Sign up here to have the ISSA Legislative & Regulatory Update emailed directly to you every other week.

ISSA Advocacy

Happy 4th of July from ISSA Government Affairs
As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, now is a fitting time to reflect on and highlight some of the recent public policy “wins” for the ISSA Advocacy Fund. Thank you to those who support the fund and make these wins possible for the cleaning industry. In 2020, ISSA created the IAF to build on the success of our government affairs efforts. Since then, we have successfully advocated for and influenced legislation and regulations affecting the full cleaning supply chain. Learn more and contribute

Washington State Bans PFAS and Other Chemicals in Designated Products
The Washington Department of Ecology adopted sweeping rules that will prohibit the use of chemicals such as PFAS and alkylphenol ethoxylates in designated consumer and commercial products, as well as establish reporting requirements for manufacturers and distributors. The new rules, published on May 31, 2023, are the culmination of over four years of work through the Safer Products for Washington program that started in 2019, when the state Legislature passed a law giving authority to Ecology to identify and regulate toxic chemicals found in common consumer and commercial products. Learn more

Legislative

Senate Legislation Targets Port Union Workers
Idaho Republican Senator Jim Risch is introducing legislation to revise the National Labor Relations Act and Labor Management Relations Act in ways that would limit the power of unions, CNBC reported. The bill would designate labor slowdowns similar to the ones that recently upended West Coast port operations as “unfair labor practice” with steep financial penalties and make it difficult for unions to block port automation, which has been a sticking point in negotiations over a new contract. Senate Republicans, including Risch, have introduced similar legislation in prior years without success. Learn more

Tentative US West Coast Port Contract Deal Reached
The Longshore union and employers of 22,000 dockworkers at U.S. West Coast ports said that they have reached a tentative deal on a new six-year contract, ending 13 months of talks and easing supply chain worries, according to Reuters. Learn more

Regulatory

NLRB Favors Broader Worker Classification Test
The U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NRLB) made it more difficult for companies to treat workers as independent contractors rather than employees, handing workers in the gig economy and other industries a potential path to join unions, Cleaning & Maintenance Management reported. Learn more

OSHA Requests Input on Heat Safety Standard
The U.S. Department of Labor is asking small business owners and representatives from local government entities to join the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for a series of discussions on the potential impacts of a workplace heat standard on small businesses, according to Cleaning & Maintenance Management. Learn more

DOL Aims to Protect the Health and Safety of Spanish-Speaking Workers
According to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), a two-year alliance has begun between the agency’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration offices in Dallas and Fort Worth and the Dallas Mexican Consulate in order to provide Spanish-speaking employers and workers in Northern Texas with information, guidance, and access to workers’ rights resources, Cleaning & Maintenance Management reported. Learn more

Biden Administration Releases Spring Regulatory Agenda
The Biden administration issued its Spring 2023 Regulatory Agenda, which lays out federal agencies’ regulatory plans for the year and beyond. Specifically, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has several action items listed that ISSA is closely following, including a final Hazcom and proposed overtime rules. Learn more

State News

Minimum Wage Increase Passes Maine Legislature
A bill to increase the minimum wage in Maine to US$15 made it through the state legislature, but may not get signed into law, WGME reported. The proposal would boost the minimum wage from $13.80 to $15 in 2024 with an annual cost of living increase. However, the administration of Governor Mills indicated that the governor “isn’t sold on the idea.” Learn more

Pennsylvania House Passes $15 Minimum Wage Bill
Pennsylvania’s Democratic-controlled House of Representatives approved a measure that would raise the minimum wage to US$15 by 2026, according to AP. The bill passed 103-100 with all but one Democrat voting for it and two Republicans joining them. But the legislation has an uncertain future in the Republican-controlled Senate as lawmakers and Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro focus on budget legislation ahead of the July 1 start of the new fiscal year. Pennsylvania’s minimum wage is set at the federal minimum of $7.25 and last increased in 2009. Learn more