Search News
For the Media
For media inquiries, call CWA Communications at 202-434-1168 or email comms@cwa-union.org. To read about CWA Members, Leadership or Industries, visit our About page.
Members Urged to Act Quickly to Save Ergonomics Rule
The federal ergonomics rule is in dire risk of being overturned by Congress within a matter of weeks, and CWA members must act now to contact their senators and representatives, CWA President Morton Bahr said.
Under the Congressional Review Act of 1996, Congress needs only a simple majority to get rid of a rule put in place by a federal agency. Under a deadline set by the act, the vote on the ergonomics rule would have to be taken by about mid-May.
“Any day now they will introduce into both houses of Congress a joint resolution to rescind the (ergonomics) standard,” Bahr said in a letter to local presidents. “The resolution cannot be amended or filibustered. If it passes both houses, it would repeal the current standard and prevent any ergonomic standards from ever being promulgated unless and until a new resolution is passed by Congress authorizing the Labor Department to act.”
The National Association of Manufactur-ers is leading a fight against the rule, and told the Bureau of National Affairs that it expects the verdict to come down to just one or two votes. “I think we’re going to win,” a NAM official told the BNA’s Daily Labor Report.
The ergonomics standard, designed to protect workers from crippling repetitive motion and strain injuries at work, was supported by President Bill Clinton and approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after years of study and a full year of hearings and written testimony.
The rule covers more than 100 million workers and 6.1 million work sites, from manufacturing plants to offices, hospitals and stores. It calls for employers to correct ergonomic problems that have caused injuries, train workers about repetitive motion disorders and risk factors, and ensure that workers know how to report ergonomic problems and injuries.
OSHA estimates that 1.8 million workers a year suffer ergonomic-related injuries and that 600,000 of them have to take time off work to recover.
Companies have claimed that the costs of complying with the rule are too high, but OSHA estimates that business will save about $9 billion a year in workers’ compensation and related costs — twice as much as they are expected to spend on necessary changes.
“Our members’ health is at stake,” Bahr said, asking members to send mail "to flood their members of Congress, House and Senate, urging them to vote against any resolution that would nullify the ergonomic standards."
“Time is of the essence,” he said. “We can win this if all workers stand together and make their voices heard.”
There are several ways to contact your representatives in Congress. The AFL-CIO has a sample letter on its web page and instructions to follow online to send it to members of Congress. It is available at www.aflcio.org.
CWA members can also e-mail senators and representatives by going to the CWA legislative and political website at www.cwa-legis-pol.org. Or, contact your representatives by regular mail or telephone. Address Senate mail to: The Honorable ______, United States Senate, Washington DC 20510. For House members: The Honorable ______, House of Representatives, Washington DC 20515.
Members’ specific office addresses and phone numbers are listed on the www.senate.gov and www.house.gov websites, or are available by calling the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Information may also be available in your city’s local phone directory.
LETTER:
AFL-CIO’s Suggested Letter to Congress
(Available on line at www.aflcio.org)
Dear _____________,
I am writing to ask for your support for OSHA’s new ergonomics standard, which will prevent crippling repetitive strain injuries.
On Nov. 14, 2000, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its final standard to protect workers from ergonomic hazards in the workplace. Ten years in the making, this standard is the most important worker safety action developed in the agency’s history.
The new safety and health protection will prevent hundreds of thousands of serious injuries each year and spare workers unnecessary pain, suffering and disability.
For years, Big Business groups and some members of Congress have waged a relentless campaign to block the ergonomics standard. Now that the final ergonomics standard has been issued, opponents are certain to try to overturn it.
Millions of workers suffered crippling injuries because this standard was delayed. It’s time to stop the pain and start the healing. Please support the OSHA ergonomics standard and oppose any efforts to take away this important worker protection.
Thank you,
Under the Congressional Review Act of 1996, Congress needs only a simple majority to get rid of a rule put in place by a federal agency. Under a deadline set by the act, the vote on the ergonomics rule would have to be taken by about mid-May.
“Any day now they will introduce into both houses of Congress a joint resolution to rescind the (ergonomics) standard,” Bahr said in a letter to local presidents. “The resolution cannot be amended or filibustered. If it passes both houses, it would repeal the current standard and prevent any ergonomic standards from ever being promulgated unless and until a new resolution is passed by Congress authorizing the Labor Department to act.”
The National Association of Manufactur-ers is leading a fight against the rule, and told the Bureau of National Affairs that it expects the verdict to come down to just one or two votes. “I think we’re going to win,” a NAM official told the BNA’s Daily Labor Report.
The ergonomics standard, designed to protect workers from crippling repetitive motion and strain injuries at work, was supported by President Bill Clinton and approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration after years of study and a full year of hearings and written testimony.
The rule covers more than 100 million workers and 6.1 million work sites, from manufacturing plants to offices, hospitals and stores. It calls for employers to correct ergonomic problems that have caused injuries, train workers about repetitive motion disorders and risk factors, and ensure that workers know how to report ergonomic problems and injuries.
OSHA estimates that 1.8 million workers a year suffer ergonomic-related injuries and that 600,000 of them have to take time off work to recover.
Companies have claimed that the costs of complying with the rule are too high, but OSHA estimates that business will save about $9 billion a year in workers’ compensation and related costs — twice as much as they are expected to spend on necessary changes.
“Our members’ health is at stake,” Bahr said, asking members to send mail "to flood their members of Congress, House and Senate, urging them to vote against any resolution that would nullify the ergonomic standards."
“Time is of the essence,” he said. “We can win this if all workers stand together and make their voices heard.”
There are several ways to contact your representatives in Congress. The AFL-CIO has a sample letter on its web page and instructions to follow online to send it to members of Congress. It is available at www.aflcio.org.
CWA members can also e-mail senators and representatives by going to the CWA legislative and political website at www.cwa-legis-pol.org. Or, contact your representatives by regular mail or telephone. Address Senate mail to: The Honorable ______, United States Senate, Washington DC 20510. For House members: The Honorable ______, House of Representatives, Washington DC 20515.
Members’ specific office addresses and phone numbers are listed on the www.senate.gov and www.house.gov websites, or are available by calling the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121. Information may also be available in your city’s local phone directory.
LETTER:
AFL-CIO’s Suggested Letter to Congress
(Available on line at www.aflcio.org)
Dear _____________,
I am writing to ask for your support for OSHA’s new ergonomics standard, which will prevent crippling repetitive strain injuries.
On Nov. 14, 2000, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued its final standard to protect workers from ergonomic hazards in the workplace. Ten years in the making, this standard is the most important worker safety action developed in the agency’s history.
The new safety and health protection will prevent hundreds of thousands of serious injuries each year and spare workers unnecessary pain, suffering and disability.
For years, Big Business groups and some members of Congress have waged a relentless campaign to block the ergonomics standard. Now that the final ergonomics standard has been issued, opponents are certain to try to overturn it.
Millions of workers suffered crippling injuries because this standard was delayed. It’s time to stop the pain and start the healing. Please support the OSHA ergonomics standard and oppose any efforts to take away this important worker protection.
Thank you,