Not long ago, Guillermina ran into a coworker at her doctor’s office. The two women work together at a McDonald’s near San Jose, California. When Guillermina asked what her coworker was doing at the doctor, she responded that she’d been feeling ill, adding, “You know how hot it gets in the kitchen.”

Guillermina understood. She is the shift manager at McDonald’s, and has worked in fast food for 22 years. The air conditioning in her building is old, she said, and isn’t designed for the scorching summer temperatures they experience today. Last year, the employees went on strike after temperatures in the kitchen rose above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

According to Guillermina, she and her coworkers — mostly women, mostly Spanish-speakers — often work through excessive heat, struggling with dizzin

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