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.
OSHA's Enemies in Congress Gain New Momentum In Campaign to Derail Ergonomic Standard
While ergonomic-related workplace injuries continue to mount, congressional enemies of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are busy trying to undermine government initiatives to develop standards to deal with the problem.
In years past, Republican leaders in Congress bottled up funding sought by OSHA for research into the causes and prevention alternatives for the growing problem of repetitive stress injuries in the workplace. Business groups also persuaded Congress to block OSHA's plans to develop an ergonomic standard to guide industry in developing suitable workplace protections against the problem.
This year, House and Senate Republicans are at it again, with measures that would thwart development of workplace ergonomic standards: H.R. 987, sponsored by Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and S. 1070, co-sponsored by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Sen. Christopher Bond (R-Mo.). Only Rep. Tom Petri (R-Mo.) broke ranks when the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on June 24 voted 23-18 to send the bill to the House floor.
What You Can Do
Write, call or e-mail your representative and senators today and tell them to oppose H.R. 987 or any other bill or amendment that would block or delay an OSHA ergonomics standard. (See sample letter.)
You can easily send an e-mail message to members of Congress through CWA's legislative web site: www.cwa-legis-pol.org
The AFL-CIO will connect you by phone to the U.S. Capitol toll-free at 1-877-722-7494.
Sample Letter to Congress
The Honorable _______________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable _______________
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Representative (or Senator)_____________________:
I'm writing to ask that you oppose (H.R. 987 in the House, S.1070 in the Senate) or any other measure in Congress that would delay or block the implementation of an OSHA ergonomic standard.
Crippling repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) and back injuries account for one-third of all serious workplace injuries recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They result in over 600,000 lost-time injuries each year and cost the economy more than $20 billion annually.
Claims by business groups that there is not yet scientific evidence linking poor workplace ergonomics to musculoskeletal injuries have been soundly refuted by over 600 scientific studies, more than 2,000 articles in scientific journals, and findings of the National Academy of Sciences. Working Americans have waited too long for an ergonomics standard because of lobbying by powerful business groups. There is no justification for further delays. It's time to stop the pain.
Sincerely,
In years past, Republican leaders in Congress bottled up funding sought by OSHA for research into the causes and prevention alternatives for the growing problem of repetitive stress injuries in the workplace. Business groups also persuaded Congress to block OSHA's plans to develop an ergonomic standard to guide industry in developing suitable workplace protections against the problem.
This year, House and Senate Republicans are at it again, with measures that would thwart development of workplace ergonomic standards: H.R. 987, sponsored by Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and S. 1070, co-sponsored by Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Sen. Christopher Bond (R-Mo.). Only Rep. Tom Petri (R-Mo.) broke ranks when the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on June 24 voted 23-18 to send the bill to the House floor.
What You Can Do
Write, call or e-mail your representative and senators today and tell them to oppose H.R. 987 or any other bill or amendment that would block or delay an OSHA ergonomics standard. (See sample letter.)
You can easily send an e-mail message to members of Congress through CWA's legislative web site: www.cwa-legis-pol.org
The AFL-CIO will connect you by phone to the U.S. Capitol toll-free at 1-877-722-7494.
Sample Letter to Congress
The Honorable _______________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable _______________
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Representative (or Senator)_____________________:
I'm writing to ask that you oppose (H.R. 987 in the House, S.1070 in the Senate) or any other measure in Congress that would delay or block the implementation of an OSHA ergonomic standard.
Crippling repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) and back injuries account for one-third of all serious workplace injuries recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They result in over 600,000 lost-time injuries each year and cost the economy more than $20 billion annually.
Claims by business groups that there is not yet scientific evidence linking poor workplace ergonomics to musculoskeletal injuries have been soundly refuted by over 600 scientific studies, more than 2,000 articles in scientific journals, and findings of the National Academy of Sciences. Working Americans have waited too long for an ergonomics standard because of lobbying by powerful business groups. There is no justification for further delays. It's time to stop the pain.
Sincerely,