On April 15, Annie Fierro of the Workers Defense Action Fund arrived at a state House committee hearing in Austin to support a bill that sought to prevent workplace heat-related illnesses and deaths.
Fierro chose to share written testimony from Ignacio, a Houston member of Workers Defense who she said was unable to get time off to attend the hearing. For over 25 years, she explained, Ignacio had worked as a finisher for construction projects. Laboring inside un-airconditioned buildings filled with chemical vapors and little ventilation in Texas’ scorching summers is a regular part of his job. Then, in March 2024, he was hospitalized with kidney failure that he attributes to working without sufficient breaks or water through Texas’ sweltering heat. He now receives dialysis 12 hours a week.
After his employer learned about his condition, his pay was docked, and he’s still not given time for water breaks.
