JBS strike inspires State Senate bill protecting meatpackers
The State Senate passed a bill yesterday that would boost protections for meatpackers. The bill comes on the heels of a month-long strike at the JBS-owned meatpacking facility in Greeley, which resulted in a renewed contract with increased wages and protections earlier in April. One of the main protections offered by the bill is part of the new union contract; meatpacking employers would be prohibited from deducting the cost of personal protective equipment from an employee’s pay. One of the bill’s sponsors, Senator Julie Gonzalez (D-Denver), said that the strike spurred action. Gonzalez claimed, “The JBS workers’ strike in Greeley exposed serious concerns about working conditions in Colorado’s meatpacking industry.” She also asserted that “This bill is about honoring the bravery of the workers who have come forward about egregious workplace conditions and ensuring that basic standards of dignity and safety are crystal clear in Colorado law.”
Colorado to regulate five air polluting chemicals
Colorado is hoping to improve air quality by regulating certain air pollutants. According to the Colorado Sun, state health officials can now monitor emissions and require new equipment and processes for five designated chemicals known to cause higher rates of cancer and other disease. The initial list includes benzene from refineries, ethylene oxide from sterilizers, hydrogen sulfide from asphalt and manure operations, formaldehyde from turbines and combustion engines, and hexavalent chromium from chrome-plating industries. After the The Air Quality Control Commission voted to finalize the regulations, the group Conservation Colorado stated that, “For years, communities living near highways, oil and gas sites and industrial facilities have been exposed to the highest levels of these pollutants — and currently, Colorado does not have strong rules on how much of these chemicals can be in the air.” The group also stated that “These impacts fall disproportionately on communities of color. Latino people are nearly three times more likely than white people to live in areas with the most harmful air, and Black and Latino communities are more likely to face the worst pollution overall, according to the American Lung Association. This action moves the state closer to changing that.”
Indivisible protests against ICE warehouse detention
On Saturday, demonstrators protested against the expansion of immigration detention facilities. The Montrose Daily Press reports that the event was hosted by hosted by Montrose and Ouray Counties Indivisible and was in coordination with wider “Communities Not Cages National Day of Action to Stop ICE Warehouse Detention,” a coordinated nationwide mobilization against Trump’s mass detention and deportation agenda. ICE is reportedly purchasing,and retrofitting warehouses and closed prisons nationwide for expanded immigration detention.
Dry winter likely to impact summer wildfires
The Rocky Mountain West is looking ahead to another hot, dry summer. This comes after an exceptionally dry winter with record-low snowpack. That has local officials concerned about what this means for wildfire. One Western Colorado community is working with researchers at Vanderbilt University to help fire managers better prepare for what could be another busy and unpredictable season. For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KDNK's Lily Jones brings us the story.
Dance halls make a comeback in the West
In some parts of our region, dance halls are having a resurgence. The community gathering places have long been a staple for westerners living in isolated places. The Mountain West News Bureau’s Hanna Merzbach starts by taking us to a family square dance night off a rural Wyoming highway.
