Submitted by Albuquerque City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn
Every year, it gets hotter in Albuquerque. Summers stretch longer, temperatures climb higher, and extreme heat warnings become more frequent. What we’re experiencing is no accident, it’s the reality of climate change, unfolding right here in our city.
This crisis doesn’t impact everyone equally. The people on the frontlines, including those working outdoors on construction sites, in landscaping, agriculture, and waste collection, and those indoors in warehouses, kitchens, and industrial facilities without air conditioning, are shouldering the most immediate and dangerous burden.
That’s why I strongly support the New Mexico Environment Department’s proposed Occupational Heat Illness and Injury Prevention Rule, and I urge the state to adopt the strongest rule possible.
This rule is a commonsense measure that requires employers to provide basic protections: water, rest breaks, shade or cool-down areas, training on heat-related illness, and emergency response procedures. These are not radical demands, they are fundamental safeguards for human health and dignity.
In my district, I often hear from working families who are already struggling to make ends meet. Many of these workers are among the least protected and least likely to jeopardize their employment by complaining. People are getting sick, suffering heatstroke, and in some cases, losing their lives, all while simply trying to do their jobs.
We must act now because climate change is no longer a distant threat. Albuquerque experienced record-breaking heat in 2023, with 17 days over 100°F. Scientists expect these extreme conditions to become the norm unless we take bold action. Protecting workers from heat is one of the most immediate, life-saving steps we can take at the intersection of labor, public health, and climate resilience.
Some in the business community argue that this rule is too burdensome, too fast, or too expensive. But many responsible employers are already voluntarily providing these protections, and they understand what others must come to realize: a healthy workforce is a productive workforce. Workers who are dehydrated, overheated, or fainting on the job are not only in danger, they are less able to perform their duties and more likely to miss work or suffer long-term health impacts.
Others argue we should wait for federal action. But Washington is not moving fast enough, and our workers can’t afford to wait. New Mexico has the opportunity to protect our own now, just as we have in other areas of climate and public health policy.
As a City Councilor, I have championed local policies that reduce emissions, improve air quality, and support workers. I also passed legislation requiring rental units to have cooling systems. Now it’s time to protect people not just in their homes, but at work too. It’s time to take that next step toward a just, climate-smart New Mexico where all workers, regardless of where they live or what job they do, can count on basic protections from the extreme heat we now know is here to stay.
I stand with the workers of Albuquerque and across our state who are asking for nothing more than the right to work in safe, humane conditions. I urge the New Mexico Environment Department and the Environmental Improvement Board to hold firm against industry pressure and finalize a comprehensive, robust, evidence-based worker heat protection rule as soon as possible.
The health, safety, and lives of New Mexicans depend on it.