Every year, more workers in New York face dangerous temperatures on the job. Summers are hotter, winters are unpredictable, and many workplaces were never designed to keep people safe in extreme conditions.
The TEMP Coalition was created to change that reality. Led by NYCOSH, TEMP brings unions, worker centers, and environmental justice organizations together to fight for strong, enforceable protections so workers do not have to risk their health simply to earn a paycheck.
The TEMP Coalition advocates for clear extreme temperature standards that protect workers in New York and beyond. The coalition was founded and is chaired by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH).
Formed in 2022, TEMP brings together a powerful group of unions, environmental organizations, and worker advocates with one shared goal: to ensure that no worker is forced to choose between their job and their health when temperatures rise or fall to dangerous levels.
Workers across many industries face serious risks from heat and cold. Outdoor workers labor in direct sun, on hot roofs, and on paved surfaces that trap heat. Indoor workers may be in poorly ventilated spaces, near hot machinery, or in buildings without adequate cooling or heating.
Extreme temperatures can cause:
These risks are predictable and preventable. TEMP believes that workers deserve legally enforceable protections, clear standards, and practical safeguards such as rest breaks, access to water, shade or warming areas, and training on heat and cold illness prevention.
Together, these organizations represent workers in building services, transportation, retail, food service, logistics, public sector roles, and more. Their combined experience and reach help make TEMP a strong voice for temperature protections statewide.
TEMP is a broad and growing alliance of unions, worker centers, legal advocates, and environmental and community organizations. Members include:
TEMP turns worker experiences into real protections. In 2025, the coalition introduced extreme temperature legislation in the New York State Legislature, sponsored by Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Harry Bronson. This bill represents a significant step toward establishing enforceable standards that protect workers from hazardous temperatures.
The coalition pushes for strong protections at every level: state, local, and federal. TEMP educates lawmakers about the real risks workers face in extreme heat and cold and uses worker stories to show why temperature safety must be treated as a basic right, not an optional benefit.
This work is grounded in the voices of the people most affected. TEMP centers workers and communities facing climate impacts and environmental injustice. Through testimony, public education, research, and organizing, the coalition raises awareness, promotes practical solutions such as water, rest breaks, shade, and climate controls, and supports unions and worker groups advocating for change.
Together, these efforts help build a future where every worker in New York is protected, no matter how high or low the temperature climbs.
The TEMP Coalition is growing and welcomes unions, worker centers, community groups, and allies who want to help win strong temperature protections for workers.
If your organization is interested in learning more or joining the coalition, please fill out the form, and a representative from NYCOSH will be in touch shortly.
Together, we can make sure that no worker is left unprotected when temperatures become extreme.