August 25, 2025 (Des Plaines, Ill.) – The International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA), which represents third-party logistics (3PL) warehouses across North America, strongly opposes the Warehouse Worker Protection Act (S. 2613). While the bill is framed as a measure to safeguard warehouse employees, its provisions would instead impose burdensome, unworkable mandates on employers without meaningfully improving workplace safety.

IWLA and its members are already committed to the health, safety, and well-being of their employees. However, this legislation would:

• Create new layers of federal bureaucracy that micromanage day-to-day warehouse operations.
• Revive the long-discarded ergonomics standard previously rejected by a bipartisan Congress as unworkable.
• Curtail employers’ due process rights when responding to OSHA citations.
• Impose confusing and duplicative rules that would slow supply chains and undermine the efficiency of American logistics.

“These provisions go far beyond addressing legitimate safety concerns,†said IWLA President & CEO Jay Strother. “Instead, they create compliance and legal uncertainties that would harm employers and employees while doing little to improve outcomes in the workplace.â€

Importantly, the legislation wrongly assumes all warehouses operate like massive e-commerce fulfillment centers. In reality, 3PL warehouses – the backbone of the U.S. supply chain – are structured very differently, with diverse business models, smaller workforces, and long track records of worker safety and compliance. Unlike large e-commerce companies that control every stage of fulfillment, 3PL warehouses serve as neutral partners for thousands of manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. These 3PL warehouse operations are smaller in scale, more varied in service, and deeply rooted in local economies – including many family-owned and regional businesses.

“By painting all warehouses with the same broad brush, this bill misfires,†Strother added. “Third-party logistics warehouses are not the problem this legislation is trying to solve. Treating them as if they were giant e-commerce distribution centers risks disrupting supply chains that millions of businesses and consumers depend on every day. We urge Congress to reject this legislation and instead work with our industry on solutions that truly advance safety without compromising efficiency.â€

The association also noted that similar efforts at the state level have already shown the risks of vague, sweeping mandates. Earlier this year, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker vetoed a state-level warehouse worker bill, citing its “unworkable enforcement†provisions and the danger of unintended consequences for businesses that were never the target of the legislation.

IWLA and its members stand ready to work with lawmakers on smart, balanced policies that strengthen both worker protections and the flow of goods that American families and businesses rely on every day.

Click here to access the PDF of this press release.

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Note: Photos are available on request. For more information, please send your requests to blinderman@IWLA.com or call 847.813.4698.

About IWLA: Founded in 1891, the International Warehouse Logistics Association is the resource for warehouse logistics, advocacy, and education. For more information, visit www.IWLA.com. IWLA, formerly the American Warehouse Association, serves nearly 600 corporate members representing more than 3,000 warehousing locations. IWLA members are integral to the global supply chain, providing expertise in storage, distribution, transportation, and logistics management. IWLA advocates for fair working conditions, secure supply chains, and efficient trade practices to benefit both the logistics industry and consumers.

The definition of a 3PL, as codified in the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) “means an entity that provides or coordinates warehousing, or other logistics services of a product in interstate commerce on behalf of a manufacturer, wholesale distributor, or dispenser of a product, but does not take ownership of the product, nor have responsibility to direct the sale or disposition of the product.â€