Vice President Kamala Harris Visits Philadelphia With Pro-Union Message
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Vice President Kamala Harris visited Philadelphia Tuesday with a pro-union message about safeguarding workers from extreme heat.
The event had a labor rally feel. Those in attendance were here to welcome and support the vice president, who is here talking about job creation and good-paying union jobs.
Harris was joined by Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Gov. Tom Wolf, Mayor Jim Kenney, as well as members of Congress and the Senate.
Hundreds of people were at the Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 19 Training Center to listen to the Biden-Harris administration's dedication to building an economy where workers come first.
Harris talked about the work the White House Labor Task Force is doing and the effort to develop union jobs that will help advance the middle class.
Under the infrastructure plan, millions of union jobs building bridges and roadways will be made available.
Also announced Tuesday was the launch of the national emphasis program that deals with outdoor and indoor heat-related hazards.
The new workplace extreme heat program from the Department of Labor is meant to protect workers, including those working in extreme weather, as we look towards the summer months.
For the first time ever, OSHA will begin enforcement where inspectors will audit workplaces in order to prevent heat-related injuries.
"Every year, thousands of workers suffer heat-related injury and illness. The danger posed by extreme heat has been ignored and overlooked for far too long. And that danger is only increasing because as we know, climate change has become a climate crisis," Harris said. "That workplace is not necessarily an office with air conditioning but it is a workplace nonetheless where highly skilled workers work
The vice president had a number of private meetings throughout the day, at least one included local union workers.
She says the Biden-Harris administration is determined to make the U.S. the most pro-union it's ever been.
