The Los Angeles Times has called out Governor Gavin Newsom for failing to protect workers from extreme heat. According to the newspaper, California did not implement workplace standards to protect workers from heat, even though he likes to boast that his administration has done more to protect workers than other states. 

The Los Angeles Times claims California delayed implementing indoor workplace standards and criticized state officials for their “ineptitude.” 

The LA Times piece claims that Newsom should have formed a board to ensure proper standards for workers in extreme conditions. Such a board is necessary to protect California workers. The board should have been created in 2018, but that has yet to happen. 

Newsom is not the only person to get an earful from the LA Times; state officials, too, did. The newspaper points out the sluggish attitude toward the project and reminds readers that another summer is approaching without real progress.

Meanwhile, Californian workers slave away in less-than-ideal conditions. According to the LA Times, the current state of things can not remain. While the standards recorded in the 2016 employee safety laws make some sense, they still need to be implemented. 

The law California passed in 2016 requires employers to provide their workers with a means of escape from the sweltering heat observed in workplaces. They were put in place to prevent health complications because of the heat. Some of the escape include cool-down areas, provision of air conditioning, rest breaks, and water. These are to be made available for any workplace with temperatures exceeding 82 degrees.

The editorial team at the LA Times has expressed dissatisfaction with the state, especially Newsom’s sluggishness in implementing a law created almost a decade ago. The editorial piece making rounds on the internet deliberately calls out Newsom for this.

According to the piece, the governor has been known to boast that no other governor has done as much as he has to shield workers from the heat and should be “ashamed” of himself because that is far from true. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also shared its thoughts regarding the dangerous nature of heat-related health conditions. These could include exhaustion, heat stroke, heat cramps, and heat syncope, which are potentially dangerous, especially if they are not quickly noticed. Implementing the laws from 2016 will be costly, but the news outlet does not think this is reason enough to put workers’ lives at risk. 

California would need billions to implement the standards proposed by the 2016 law fully. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health was the agency that passed the standards. Still, for them to take effect, the Department of Finance needs to approve them, which is why there is a delay. 

In 2022, Newsom attempted to get things moving by signing legislation to protect Californians from the heat. At the time, he claimed the state was taking “aggressive action” to combat the heat crisis while working to “build resilience” in the most susceptible communities. 

California’s governor looks pretty conscious about climate change and has been very vocal about what must be done to stop and reverse global warming. He recently delivered a speech about the climate crisis at the Vatican, in which he called out former President Donald Trump for sucking up to oil executives despite being aware of how fossil fuels affect the climate. 

The summer months are approaching, and temperatures can reach 90 degrees in California. Advocates for workers’ rights are concerned about the employees because the standards that should protect them are not in place. The LA Times editorial piece aims to draw attention to what is happening and serve as a push that will cause the relevant agencies to make more impactful and swift changes to protect workers.

Given his position, it is not surprising that Governor Gavin Newsom gets called out often, but many times, it is to call him to order. In 2023, he was engaged in a debate with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis that saw them fly at each other verbally, making it a disaster. He was called out later on for his childishness, and many commented on how terrible it was that California had to put up with him for the rest of his term.