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Bill Would Extend OSHA
CWA's public workers and airline employees would be among millions of workers newly covered by federal safety and health laws under a bill introduced on Workers Memorial Day by Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.).
"The most glaring flaw in current law is that too many workers are left uncovered," Kennedy said. "The Protecting America's Workers Act will extend the scope of the Occupational Safety and Health Act to cover 8 million public employees and millions of transportation and other workers."
The bill, S.944, would also provide meaningful penalties when workers are killed or seriously injured because of an employer's willful violations of health and safety laws. Employers could be charged with a felony for such violations, be fined a minimum of $50,000 and face 10 years in prison.
Kennedy said too many employers "blatantly ignore the law but are rarely held accountable, even when their actions or neglect kill loyal employees who work for them."
Typically, he said, offenders aren't jailed or even prosecuted because the penalties now are so low that officials don't bother to pursue them. And they treat the small fines they may have to pay as "just another cost of doing business."
The bill would also give workers and their families a voice in the Department of Labor's handling of OSHA citations, by improving transparency and accountability and giving those involved the right to meet with DOL investigators. And it would protect whistleblowers who report safety violations.
Kennedy praised the 35-year-old Occupational Safety and Health Act for substantially reducing workers' deaths and injuries over the years. "But we still have a long way to go," he said. "An average of 15 workers are killed and 12,000 more are injured every single day. That's over 5,500 worker deaths and 4.4 million worker injuries a year."
Ten senators, all Democrats, had signed on as co-sponsors to Kennedy's bill at the time of its introduction April 28. They are Jon Corzine (N.J.), Chris Dodd (Conn.), Tom Harkin (Iowa), Barbara Mikulski (Md.), Jeff Bingaman (N.M.), Patty Murray (Wash.), Hillary Clinton (N.Y.), Russ Feingold (Wis.), Dick Durbin (Ill.) and Charles Schumer (N.Y.).
"The most glaring flaw in current law is that too many workers are left uncovered," Kennedy said. "The Protecting America's Workers Act will extend the scope of the Occupational Safety and Health Act to cover 8 million public employees and millions of transportation and other workers."
The bill, S.944, would also provide meaningful penalties when workers are killed or seriously injured because of an employer's willful violations of health and safety laws. Employers could be charged with a felony for such violations, be fined a minimum of $50,000 and face 10 years in prison.
Kennedy said too many employers "blatantly ignore the law but are rarely held accountable, even when their actions or neglect kill loyal employees who work for them."
Typically, he said, offenders aren't jailed or even prosecuted because the penalties now are so low that officials don't bother to pursue them. And they treat the small fines they may have to pay as "just another cost of doing business."
The bill would also give workers and their families a voice in the Department of Labor's handling of OSHA citations, by improving transparency and accountability and giving those involved the right to meet with DOL investigators. And it would protect whistleblowers who report safety violations.
Kennedy praised the 35-year-old Occupational Safety and Health Act for substantially reducing workers' deaths and injuries over the years. "But we still have a long way to go," he said. "An average of 15 workers are killed and 12,000 more are injured every single day. That's over 5,500 worker deaths and 4.4 million worker injuries a year."
Ten senators, all Democrats, had signed on as co-sponsors to Kennedy's bill at the time of its introduction April 28. They are Jon Corzine (N.J.), Chris Dodd (Conn.), Tom Harkin (Iowa), Barbara Mikulski (Md.), Jeff Bingaman (N.M.), Patty Murray (Wash.), Hillary Clinton (N.Y.), Russ Feingold (Wis.), Dick Durbin (Ill.) and Charles Schumer (N.Y.).