Apr
2013 11
2013 11
In Portland, Construction Unions Worry Paid Sick Days Legislation Could Interfere with Collective Bargaining
With talk of #PaidSickDays legislation roiling New York, Pennsylvania and Florida (to name a few…), construction workers in the Northwest are telling a cautionary tale you might not expect to hear from union workers. Portland, Oregon has a stricter Paid Sick Days law than the one about to hit NYC. It mandates that any employer ...
Apr
2013 11
2013 11
72% of 2012 NYC Construction Deaths Took Place on Non-Union Work Sites
A new report from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) shows that construction deaths more than tripled on NYC work sites last year with 21 workplace fatalities versus six the year before. The sudden surge coincides with an uptick in building projects in the region and represents the most construction workplace deaths the city ...
Apr
2013 8
2013 8
“Kentucky’s serious injury rate rose by 11% after the repeal of their prevailing wage law.”
Last week we highlighted a Dale Belman article which discussed a University of Utah study that supported prevailing wages. The topic is hot in Michigan as anti-worker legislators take aim at this important protection. Now, Michigan’s Laborers’ Union-affiliated Labor-Employers Cooperation & Education Trust (LECET) has weighed in on...
Apr
2013 5
2013 5
“The federal budget for protecting workers is half what the federal government allots to protect fish and wildlife.”
There is often nowhere to turn for workers experiencing the harmful long-term effects of exposure to dangerous chemicals. The government agency entrusted with monitoring worker safety, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has been accused of having a shortsighted view of worker safety wherein they investigate the here and...
Apr
2013 2
2013 2
EFFECT and EFFECT: NYC’s Paid Sick Days Bill to Go Into Effect in 2014, Effect Similar Battles Across US Immediately
A deal has been struck by the New York City Council to pass mandatory paid sick days. Although it is likely to be vetoed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a staunch opponent of the bill, the council reportedly has enough votes to override the veto. The bill is the result of a three-year battle fought by ...
Mar
2013 15
2013 15
Insulators Union Votes to Set Aside Four Cents for Every Hour Worked to Establish a Tissue Bank Which Will Aid in Mesothelioma Research
A new weapon in the International Association of Heat & Frost Insulators’ war against mesothelioma was introduced at their recent national convention when a vote was cast to set aside four cents for every hour of work to establish the Insulators Tissue Bank. Through work with Mt. Sinai Hospital, the fund will help provide optimal ...
Mar
2013 5
2013 5
34-Year Old Father of Four Killed by Electrocution Due to Willful Negligence, OSHA Says
After a September incident that ended in the death of 34-year old Joseph Janisch, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined Janisch’s employer, Highway Technologies Inc., $448,000 and issued a long list of citations. The company, which has been inspected by OSHA10 times since 2007, is being placed in the...
Feb
2013 21
2013 21
New SPLC Report Outlines the Horrors, Potential Solutions for H-2A/H-2B Guest Worker Programs
Those who wish to expand the current system of bringing temporary workers to the United States via guest worker programs might want to heed the warnings of The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and their new report, “Close To Slavery.” The report documents the abuses experienced by workers in this flawed system, something former House...
Feb
2013 19
2013 19
Silica Dust Regs Being Held Up by Obama Admin, Pro-Business Lobbies While Workers Suffer
A frequently overlooked complaint about President Obama administration is a lack of progress in protecting workers from the dangerous effects of silica dust. The dangers are well-known and dealt with on a daily basis but the administration has nonetheless been inactive on the subject. On February 14th, 2011, the Occupational Safety and Health...
Feb
2013 14
2013 14
OSHA Hits Bacardi With 12 Safety Violations, $192,000 Fine Following Temp Worker’s Death During First Day on the Job
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited the Bacardi Bottling Corp. with 12 alleged safety violations following the death of a 21-year old temporary worker who was killed on his first day on the job. Proposed penalties for the willful and serious violations total $192,000. The victim, Lawrence Daquan Davis, was placed at ...
Feb
2013 11
2013 11
Bill Clinton Makes Push for Paid Sick Days, Says FMLA Was Most Popular Law He Passed
In a speech to the Department of Labor, former President Bill Clinton pushed for paid sick days to be part of an expanded version of his Family and Medical Leave Act. Joined by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Clinton suggested that the act he signed into law nearly two decades ...
Feb
2013 5
2013 5
In 2012, the Mining Industry Set Another Record for Fewest Fatalities, but Data Still Shows Strong Correlation Between Lack of Training and Deaths
Data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) shows that fatalities in the mining industry reached an all-time low in 2012, mostly thanks to stricter standards. This marks the second straight year in which the fatality number, calculated by considering fatalities per 200,000 hours worked, bottomed out...
