Voces Unidas joins workers and lawmakers to launch bill for new protections from extreme heat and cold on the job

Today, Voces Unidas joined coalition partners, impacted workers, and lawmakers on the West Steps of the Colorado State Capitol to announce a new bill to protect workers from dangerous extreme heat and cold on the job.

More than 20 impacted workers stood alongside advocates and legislative sponsors to mark the public start of this effort and to make clear that Colorado cannot keep treating extreme temperatures at work like they are normal.

It was the start of a statewide push to win stronger protections for workers who are too often expected to keep going through dangerous conditions without enough safeguards, without enough accountability, and without enough recourse when something goes wrong.

HB26-1272 takes a phased approach to building those protections. It is designed to move Colorado toward prevention plans, practical standards, and real accountability for employers that require people to work in dangerous temperatures. It also responds to a clear gap in current law. While Colorado has some heat-related protections for agricultural workers and general break requirements, most indoor and outdoor workers still do not have specific protections from extreme temperatures.

At today’s announcement, Alex Sánchez, president and CEO of Voces Unidas, made clear what is at stake: “This is not abstract. This is not hypothetical. And this is not only about one industry, one region, or one season.”

That is exactly the point. This issue reaches across Colorado. It affects rural and urban communities. It affects indoor and outdoor workers. It affects year-round and seasonal workers. It affects construction workers, landscapers, agricultural workers, warehouse workers, drivers, roofers, housekeepers, snow-removal crews, line workers, transportation workers, and many others whose labor keeps this state running.

The stories behind this bill are not theoretical.

We have heard from a landscaper who suffered heat stroke after working long hours in high temperatures without enough hydration or breaks. He collapsed on the job and still lives with severe headaches and blurred vision.

We have heard from a young snow-removal worker who spent 12 hours in extreme cold during a major storm and lost a finger to frostbite.

We have heard from a housekeeper forced to move between warm indoor spaces and freezing outdoor winter temperatures while still sweating from physical labor, and whose repeated cold exposure damaged her health and led to asthma.

We have also met with family members who lost loved ones after they were exposed to extreme temperatures on the job.

Those stories are why this bill matters. “HB26-1272 is about making sure worker safety does not depend on luck, silence, or whether an employer decides to do the right thing that day,” Sánchez said.

Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, a lead sponsor of the bill, said worker safety must come first. “This year’s bill is a step forward in ensuring that workers, whether in sweltering heat or freezing cold, ultimately have the protections they need to stay safe on the job,” she said. “By enacting these measures, we’re taking proactive steps to safeguard the people who power our economy.”

Sen. Lisa Cutter tied the bill to the growing risks workers face as the climate changes. “As our climate continues to change, risks to workers will continue to increase,” she said. “In addition to expanding heat-related protections to include all workers, Colorado can lead the nation in protecting them from exposure to extreme cold, whether they are inside or outside.”

Rep. Meg Froelich was not able to attend the event, but in a press statement she emphasized that Colorado has to do more for workers facing increasingly dangerous conditions. “Colorado’s economy is powered by our workers who show up in the face of all kinds of weather,” she said. “Our state needs to show up for them and ensure strong protections for the increasingly frequent extreme heat and cold experiences by our state.”

Ean Tofoya of Green Latinos also spoke at the press conference, reflecting the breadth of the coalition behind this effort and the urgency of passing stronger protections.

Today was the announcement. Now comes the work of moving this bill through the legislature.

Colorado cannot keep asking workers to risk their health, their bodies, and sometimes their lives just to make a living. It is time to put real protections in place.