TEAMSTERS DEMAND RHODE ISLAND HOUSE PASS WORKER PROTECTION PACKAGE

Legislation is Critical for Enhancing Workplace Safety, Protecting Worker Free Speech 

PROVIDENCE, R.I., June 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Rhode Island Teamsters are urging the State House of Representatives to pass the Worker Protection Package — a group of three bills that are critical for improving occupational conditions throughout the state.

The legislation includes House Bill 5047, which would protect warehouse workers from unsafe and unrealistic production quotas. House Bill 5506 would ban "captive audience meetings," where employers force workers to sit through anti-union propaganda. House Bill 5305 would establish standards to protect workers from extreme heat or cold on the job. All three bills have already passed the Senate and now await a vote in the House.

"House lawmakers need to act fast to pass the Worker Protection Package and send this comprehensive trio of bills to the Governor's desk," said Matt Taibi, Teamsters Eastern Region International Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 251. "Our state has a unique opportunity to lead the way in not just protecting workers' rights but saving lives. Let's enact these laws and set a positive example for the rest of the country."

The Teamsters are advocating for similar reforms in statehouses across the country. California, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and Washington have all passed legislation to protect workers from unsafe production quotas. One in four workers now live in a state that has banned mandatory attendance at captive audience meetings. California, Colorado, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington all have occupational standards for extreme temperature exposure.

Teamsters Local 251 represents over 6,300 workers in a wide variety of industries throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. For more information, go to teamsterslocal251.org.

Contact: 
Matt McQuaid, (771) 241-0015
[email protected]

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SOURCE Teamsters Local 251