AFL-CIO's Trumka wants coronavirus contagious disease standard before going back to work
Union president says going back to work must be 'based on science and worker safety'
Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.
AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka wants the U.S. to adopt an emergency temporary contagious disease standard "so that every employer out there would know what is required of them when people start back," Trumka told "Mornings with Maria" on Tuesday.
"A disease standard would require them to have a plan, train employees and provide protective equipment," Trumka said. "It will vary with each one of the industries and, quite frankly, could vary by employer."
AFL-CIO'S TRUMKA: CORONAVIRUS RELIEF PACKAGE 'NOT PERFECT' BUT 'GOING TO DO A LOT OF GOOD'
Trumka said that the Trump administration had "scrapped" such a standard set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Trumka may have been referring to a rule that would help health care workers that has been in the works since 2010. It has not been prioritized by the administration, according to MarketWatch.
A man walks past the Utah Department of Workforce Services April 9 in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
AFL-CIO numbers more than 12.5 million members in 55 unions, including National Nurses United, the largest registered nurses union.
"Any talk about reopening the country, there has to be the voices of working people on that because workers are out there right now, risking their lives," Trumka said, referring to the administration's plan to form an advisory group on reopening the economy that includes business leaders.
"Any talk about going back to work has to be based on science and worker safety and nothing else," he said.