Legislative Updates
EDmarket Opposes the Warehouse Worker Protection Act
May 2, 2024
Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) introduced the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, which would impose long discarded and unworkable regulations on employers. A companion bill has not been introduced in the House but is expected to be in the coming weeks. EDmarket signed a letter signed by 61 employer organizations strongly opposing the legislation as it will have devastating consequences for the economy, the employer community, and the workers it is trying to protect.
The Warehouse Worker Protection Act would:
- Micromanage the warehousing and distribution industry by creating new quota standards (not just traditional quotas but any metrics used to determine productivity within a warehouse).
- Expand the federal government by creating a new “Fairness and Transparency Office” within the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the Department of Labor (DOL) to oversee new standards regarding quotas and workplace surveillance.
- Amends the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to establish a new unfair labor practice for an employer to impose a quota that “significantly discourages or prevents” an employee from exercising their rights under the NLRA.
- Require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to issue a rulemaking regulating ergonomics for warehouse distribution centers.
- Eliminates employer due process rights by forcing employers to abate “serious, willful or repeated” hazard citations before the employer has the opportunity to challenge the findings.
NAW’s Brian Wild stated “This bill represents a costly and unnecessary threat to the US economy, especially for wholesaler-distributors and small businesses. The bill’s quota requirements will negatively affect productivity across the supply chain, leading to delays and price hikes for consumers.”
The U.S. Department of Education Announced $47 Million in New Funding to Support School Infrastructure Investments
January 4, 2024
The Administration recently announced eight new grant awards totaling more than $37 million over five years under the Supporting America's School Infrastructure (SASI) program and one new grant for $10 million over five years under the National Center on School Infrastructure (NCSI) program. This $47 million investment, issued by the U.S. Department of Education (Department), bolsters the capacity of states to support school districts in improving school facilities with the goal of more equitable access to healthy, sustainable, and modern learning environments for all students. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will highlight this announcement during a visit to Virginia today with Ranking Member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
"These new investments in modern, healthy, and sustainable school infrastructure reflect the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to both promoting student success and protecting our planet for generations to come," said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. "Research has shown that modern, well-maintained facilities and healthy learning environments can help schools Raise the Bar by increasing student achievement, reducing absenteeism, and improving teacher retention. At the Department of Education, we're going to keep fighting to provide every student in every community with access to safe and healthy 21st-century schools that inspire learning, unleash imagination, and motivate children and youth to bring their best each day." (source: Ed Gov News)
Read full story on School Infrastructure Boost
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Education Dept Issues Details for ARP Spending Extension Requests
September 29, 2023
The U.S. Department of Education announced in a letter to state grantees, the state education agencies can now request a 14-month extension to spend American Rescue Plan money just as they were allowed to do under the first two allocations of the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund.
If approved, states and districts would have the flexibility of spending ARP funds 14 months beyond the Jan. 28, 2025, deadline or until late March 2026. With the Sept. 30, 2024, ARP obligation deadline — or when school systems must commit to spending the money — only a year away, states and school districts are hurriedly looking at their options for depleting the last and largest portion ...
Read more on ESSER Funding Extension
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BASIC Coalition (Build America's School Infrastructure Coalition)
Development of new initiatives and programs to better serve the educational community.
EDmarket participates in this dynamic coalition that helps the Federal Government understand and fund educational faculty needs for a healthy, safe, and educationally appropriate school facilities for all children.
The [Re]Build America's School Infrastructure Coalition (BASIC) is a non-partisan coalition of civic, public sector, labor, and industry associations who support federal funding to help under-served public school districts modernize and build K-12 public school facilities.
Learn More About BASIC
NAW (National Association of Wholesale/Distributors)
Wholesale Distribution Advocacy
EDmarket is a member of the National Association of Wholesaler's (NAW) Association Executives Council for the sharing of ideas, programs, and skills among the organization's member national associations. Our continual participation in this business coalition, keeps eyes on potential legislation and helping to guide the industry'sresponse for our members.
The National Association of Wholesaler's mission is to advocate its members' interests on national public policy issues that affect the entire wholesale distribution industry. NAW assists merchant wholesaler-distributors to be the most efficient channel for bringing goods to market through benchmarking, strategic management information, networking, and high-level conferences.
Learn More About NAW
