Upon my arrival at Reagan International Airport in the Nation’s Capital on March 18, 2025, I was greeted by National Council of Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH) Executive Director Jessica Martinez, who I was meeting in person for the first time since completing National COSH “We Rise!” Workers Leadership Training and being elected to the Board of NCOSH.
Robert Jarvis wants answers. “Why’d you make us work that day?” he asks. “Why?”
With five workers dead and one still missing since Hurricane Helene struck on Sept. 27, many of us in Tennessee and around the country also want to know what went wrong that day – and if we can prevent it from happening again.
The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) strongly supports OSHA’s proposed rule to address heat-related hazards for both indoor and outdoor workers. The rule, which was announced today, is a critical step in protecting millions of workers from heat-related illnesses and injuries.
Whatever OSHA does (or fails to do) this fall; whatever becomes of the laboriously crafted standards, the movement for “heat justice” is on fire and burning bright. Fired Up! Workers for Heat Justice!, led by the National Council for Safety and Health (NCOSH), has built cross-class, multi-racial coalitions in 25 states, uniting environmentalists, immigrant workers, unions, racial justice activists, students, scientists, faith-based groups, and public health organizations.
Today, Pineda advocates for health, safety, and agency for other workers as a leader with Tucson’s Josefina Ahumada Worker Center and a recent graduate of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health’s We Rise! Worker Leadership Academy.
The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH), operates at the intersection of labor and health, supporting workers’ leadership for health, safety, and power and convening a national federation of 25 local affiliates.
