Senator Murray Statement on OSHA Safety Standard Requiring Vaccination

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on the issuance of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) impacting over 80 million workers in private sector businesses with 100 or more employees—or over two-thirds of the private sector workforce. The ETS requires that covered employers ensure their workers either be vaccinated or undergo weekly testing, with unvaccinated workers also required to wear masks when in the workplace. The ETS also requires employers to provide paid time off for workers to get vaccinated and recover from any side effects.

“COVID-19 poses a grave danger to workers, many who have fought tirelessly during this pandemic to keep our communities healthy and safe—and they shouldn’t have to worry about being exposed to COVID-19 on the job. We’ve seen evidence nationwide that vaccine requirements work and that common-sense measures—including vaccines, masks, and testing—have successfully decreased COVID-19 cases in recent weeks. This workplace safety standard is an essential step toward helping workers stay safe on the job, putting us on the path to ending this pandemic, and keeping our economic recovery on track.”

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