Warehouse Worker Protection Act Reintroduced in Senate

The Warehouse Worker Protection Act, legislation that was originally introduced earlier this year, was reintroduced in the Senate by Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.), with bipartisan support from Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). The revised bill includes a new provision that grants enforcement authority to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and a limited small business exemption. The exemption is inefficient, leaving many small businesses subject to the bill’s burdensome mandates. This bill poses significant concerns for businesses and supply chains across the country. While framed as a measure to improve worker safety, this bill introduces regulations that could have far-reaching negative effects on the warehousing and distribution sectors.

One of the bill’s most controversial provisions is the resurrection of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) ergonomics standard, which Congress overwhelmingly rejected more than two decades ago for being impractical. The new version of this regulation, included in the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, would force businesses to comply with an outdated framework that fails to offer real benefits in terms of worker safety​.

The legislation would micromanage warehouse operations, imposing costly compliance requirements and burdensome administrative processes. These restrictions threaten to undermine the efficiency of the warehouse industry, a crucial component of the national supply chain. Increased operational costs and regulatory hurdles could lead to job losses, particularly in smaller businesses that lack the resources to meet the stringent new demands​. Additionally, the bill would curtail employers’ due process rights when contesting OSHA citations, further hamstringing companies and putting more pressure on an already critical part of the economy.

GCCA continues to strongly oppose the Warehouse Worker Protection Act and is working with coalition partners to urge opposition to the bill.