| Author | Subject: Opponents to Seek Repeal of Worker Protection Measure |
| Watchdog | Posted At 17:02:57 01/11/2001
Opponents to Seek Repeal of Worker Protection Measure After ten long years of struggle, workers in this country finally won protections to prevent crippling repetitive stain injuries, the nation’s biggest job safety problem. OSHA’s new ergonomics standard issued in November goes into effect on January 16. But with Republicans controlling the Congress and the White House, this new worker protection measure is in danger as opponents aim to repeal this important standard. The ergonomics standard is the most significant job safety measure ever issued by OSHA. It will prevent hundreds of thousands of injuries each year by requiring employers to implement ergonomics programs and fix jobs where musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) occur. The rule is a huge step forward and will bring about major improvements in workplace safety. The same big business groups and anti-worker members of Congress that waged a relentless campaign to try to stop the ergonomics standard from being issued are now gearing up to repeal the rule. House Republican Majority leader Rep. Richard Armey and Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) have vowed to introduce legislation in the 107th Congress to overturn the standard. Attacks on the standard are likely to come in early in the year and could come in several ways: Legislation to repeal the ergonomics standard through a through a Resolution of Disapproval under Congressional Review Act (CRA). Under this law, Congress can act to overturn issued rules. A resolution to disapprove a rule can’t be amended or filibustered. This law is the nuclear bomb of deregulation. If a rule is overturned and repealed, the agency is prohibited from issuing another similar rule. This means that OSHA could never act to set a strong standard to protect workers from ergonomic hazards. An amendment to OSHA’s FY 2002 budget to prohibit the application or enforcement of the ergonomics standard. This is the tactic used in the past by Republicans. With President Bush in the White House there would be no veto to stop such a prohibition. Action by the Bush Administration to stay or suspend the rule. This would put a hold on the standard pending a reopening of the rule-making process or the outcome of the legal challenges to the standard. During this time the Bush Administration could issue a new proposal to repeal or weaken the existing standard. Action Needed to Defend the Ergonomics Standard The battle to defend the ergonomics standard must begin immediately. We need to build broad public and Congressional support for this important worker protection. Please join the fight to stop opponents’ efforts to take away this hard won protection. Share this alert and information about the importance of protecting this new worker safety standard with your members and the public through your publications and electronic communications. Urge them to join this effort. Call or write your members of Congress, as well as the Bush Administration. Tell them that workers need and deserve these protections to prevent crippling workplace injuries. Ask them to support the OSHA ergonomics standard and to oppose any attempts to take away this important worker protection. Contact local reporters and write letters to the editor to let the public know why workers in your community need these protections. The AFL-CIO has prepared materials to help you in this fight. A copy of the standard and background information can be found on OSHA’s website at www.osha.gov. Thank you for all your hard work. Let’s keep up the fight so that working men and women keep the hard-won protections they need and deserve. |
| Nancy |
Re: Opponents to Seek Repeal of Worker Protection Measure (Currently 0 replies)
Posted At 19:55:08 01/11/2001 Dear Watchdog, Where are our worker's or labor union attack dogs? Why aren't the victims of occupational RSI-MSD injuries suing???? I see a lot of RSI Advocacy and Information groups out there struggling to do the job that Osha and our Government has already been paid to do by tax paying workers. I have repeated this over and over. Osha requested standards to prevent RSI-MSD injuries in 1982, based upon citizen funded NIOSH research. For almost 20 years we have been unjustly denied this information and/or standards to prevent known RSI-MSD injury. Why have we been denied our tax funded rights to health and safety in the workplace?? Our Political system allows corporate abuse of health and safety rights, aka the corporate buying off of legislatures, a system of prostitution governs our country. Not only have powerful corporations bought away our rights to prevent these known workplace injuries, but they bought away our rights to workers compensation justice for these preventable injuries. Few doctors are educated or competent in this area of occupational injury. They are ignorant, biased, and incompetent. Most victims of RSI-MSD are subjected to doctor shopping, caused by the corporate-political sabotage of this known occupational injury. Is there no outrage or demand for justice from the victims of this corporate-government betrayal??? If there is no outrage, we obviously have accepted living in a country that has become a despicable farce, and outrageously betrays it's citizens. Wake up!!!! Get educated!!!! Don't be a chump!!!!!Realize that we citizens are really in charge!!!! Join together and do something!!!!! Sue their asses off!!!! |
| ANTI_TOS/RSD/ |
Re: Opponents to Seek Repeal of Worker Protection Measure (Currently 0 replies)
Posted At 00:00:31 01/12/2001 Yes I agree. So I will be busy doing my part. You know to this day you can walk through stores and ask cashiers what does RSD or TOS or CTD mean, and they dont have a clue!! And by the time they do it will be to late cause all they are doing is what the companies tell them to do and that is go as fast and do as much as they can for a pay check that wont even come close to the damages it does for the rest of your life. Wait till the signs start showing up night after night and when you stop doing the work all together the pain is all too great I can tell you about it, I am left handed and scanned with one hand/shoulder and to this day not much use after a hour of trying to keep them up. I MY CASE ONE DOCTOR HAS WRITTEN THE TRUTH OF WHAT I WAS SAYING AND TO HIM GOD BLESS to the REST of Doctors like I had will tell you its muscle spasms,the next will tell you its bone spurs and then when you figure it out they refuse to give you the one test that will tell it all (THAT IS IF ITS DONE RIGHT) HOPEFULLY FOR YOUR CASE THE MUSCLES AROUND YOUR SPINE ARE STILL ABLE TO HOLD IT UP. I about puke everytime I even think of what I have been put through. 100's of customers want to know what happened to my smiling face, well I tell them remember how hard I worked and the side jobs that I did next to my register? You know the ones that were rolled away As soon as the big guys of the corperations walk in everything that managment had you working on is put in the back and out of sight. Well it took my health. No Store Director/Managment wants the secret out why their bonus check is so much, the reason being not because HE OR SHE was good at what they do but because they have works the arms/shoulders/hands off of their employees and kept the store under staffed so that the check would even be bigger. I wonder how a bonus check feels knowing it cost a employee their health? No I dont even want to know, because I know it bites just being on the other end and NO ONE HAS GAVE ME THE CHECK AND PAYMENT FOR THRASHING MY BODY. I WONDER WHY I WASNT TOLD A HEAD OF TIME WHAT THIS HARD WORK WAS DOING TO ME? TO FEED AND HOUSE MY FAMILY I WORKED AND SMILED HARD. NOW MY FAMILY/CHILDREN HAVE to SUFFERED OVER getting a 427.00 welfare check after 13 years of employment and 187.00 in food stamps. And do I want to work wouldnt you if you had to live on this much? I would say to the people of OREGON JOIN IN THE FIGHT BECAUSE THE BOTTOM LINE IS>>>>> " WHATS ON YOUR LIST TODAY, MY INJURIES---YOUR TAXES---THEIR PROFITS!!!! I WILL MARCH FOR THIS CAUSE I WILL MARCH FOR OSHA'S new PROGRAM IF THAT IS WHAT IT TAKES!! And I will post to no end. I will not turn around and put my head in the sand. They can lock me up if they want, or do what ever else, I wont stop talking about it till it is MADE RIGHT OUR WORKMEN COMP LAWS. Sometimes when I hear that OREGON had another HEALTH CARE PROVIDER walk out and close their doors, I think I bet it is because of our COMP LAWS, everyone knows if you can get away with claiming it on your regular insurance then do it causes it sure is alot easier to fool those folks and not near the home wreaking as it does to tell the truth. |
| LP |
Re: Opponents to Seek Repeal of Worker Protection Measure (Currently 0 replies)
Posted At 13:56:35 01/13/2001 I can relate SO much to the above comments, as I was a grocery checker for over 20 years. When my *privately* owned store was bought out by a large corporate chain, that is when *things* started happening for the worst. This company led you to believe they were *here* for you on every possible level. They were NOT. When they came in and remodeled our store, they changed all the checkstands, and in effect, they were completely opposite of what they had been. They also brought in new registers and a new system. So we were all forced to LEARN all new codes AND procedures and memorize at least 50 produce codes, then be tested, scan groceries completely BACKWARDS(which was extremely awkward and put an enormous strain on the body in general),and work around the remodeling process. I filed a claim 6 months after working under these conditions, as I lost the use of my left arm and shoulder due to the STRESS of reaching and grabbing groceries in a most *awkward* and *poorly* designed checkstand that CLEARLY HURTS the body. I wrote a letter to OSHA and explained to them that they NEED to have this company comply with OSHA standards in order to keep people from being injured and filing claims. NOTHING has, or WILL be done to correct this problem. OSHA came out, wrote a report, recommended changes, and STILL nothing has come of it. Unfortunately, it WILL catch up to the people I used to work with eventually, and they will have to *live* with the repercussions of working in an unhealthy work station, because the *COMPANY* feels there is nothing wrong with the design. Do you think MY company cares? NOT abit. This is just another example of *corporate greed*. I am never returning to that form of work, and would not want to. However, now the quality of MY life has been greatly diminished. I have written letters to congress, representatives, OSHA, my UNION(UFCW), and NOTHING comes from it. I personally think *WE* are fighting a losing battle. How does anyone *fight* the corruption under this mendacious system?? Now with BUSH in office, it can only get worse. LP |
| LP |
Re: Opponents to Seek Repeal of Worker Protection Measure (Currently 0 replies)
Posted At 13:58:45 01/13/2001 I can relate SO much to the above comments, as I was a grocery checker for over 20 years. When my *privately* owned store was bought out by a large corporate chain, that is when *things* started happening for the worst. This company led you to believe they were *here* for you on every possible level. They were NOT. When they came in and remodeled our store, they changed all the checkstands, and in effect, they were completely opposite of what they had been. They also brought in new registers and a new system. So we were all forced to LEARN all new codes AND procedures and memorize at least 50 produce codes, then be tested, scan groceries completely BACKWARDS(which was extremely awkward and put an enormous strain on the body in general),and work around the remodeling process. I filed a claim 6 months after working under these conditions, as I lost the use of my left arm and shoulder due to the STRESS of reaching and grabbing groceries in a most *awkward* and *poorly* designed checkstand that CLEARLY HURTS the body. I wrote a letter to OSHA and explained to them that they NEED to have this company comply with OSHA standards in order to keep people from being injured and filing claims. NOTHING has, or WILL be done to correct this problem. OSHA came out, wrote a report, recommended changes, and STILL nothing has come of it. Unfortunately, it WILL catch up to the people I used to work with eventually, and they will have to *live* with the consequences of working in an unhealthy work station, because the *COMPANY* feels there is nothing wrong with the design. Do you think MY company cares? NOT abit. This is just another example of *corporate greed*. I am never returning to that form of work, and would not want to. However, now the quality of MY life has been greatly diminished. I have written letters to congress, representatives, OSHA, my UNION(UFCW), and NOTHING comes from it. I personally think *WE* are fighting a losing battle. How does anyone *fight* the corruption under this mendacious system?? Now with BUSH in office, it can only get worse. LP |
| LP |
Re: Opponents to Seek Repeal of Worker Protection Measure (Currently 0 replies)
Posted At 14:01:06 01/13/2001 I can relate SO much to the above comments, as I was a grocery checker for over 20 years. When my *privately* owned store was bought out by a large corporate chain, that is when *things* started happening for the worst. This company led you to believe they were *here* for you on every possible level. They were NOT. When they came in and remodeled our store, they changed all the checkstands, and in effect, they were completely opposite of what they had been. They also brought in new registers and a new system. So we were all forced to LEARN all new codes AND procedures and memorize at least 50 produce codes, then be tested, scan groceries completely BACKWARDS(which was extremely awkward and put an enormous strain on the body in general),and work around the remodeling process. I filed a claim 6 months after working under these conditions, as I lost the use of my left arm and shoulder due to the STRESS of reaching and grabbing groceries in a most *awkward* and *poorly* designed checkstand that CLEARLY HURTS the body. I wrote a letter to OSHA and explained to them that they NEED to have this company comply with OSHA standards in order to keep people from being injured and filing claims. NOTHING has, or WILL be done to correct this problem. OSHA came out, wrote a report, recommended changes, and STILL nothing has come of it. Unfortunately, it WILL catch up to the people I used to work with eventually, and they will have to *live* with the consequences of working in an unhealthy work station, because the *COMPANY* feels there is nothing wrong with the design. Do you think MY company cares? NOT abit. This is just another example of *corporate greed*, and PROFITS BEFORE PEOPLE. I am never returning to that form of work, and would not want to. However, now the quality of MY life has been greatly diminished. I have written letters to congress, representatives, OSHA, my UNION(UFCW), and NOTHING comes from it. I personally think *WE* are fighting a losing battle. How does anyone *fight* the corruption under this mendacious system?? Now with BUSH in office, it can only get worse. LP |
| LP |
Re: Opponents to Seek Repeal of Worker Protection Measure (Currently 0 replies)
Posted At 14:02:14 01/13/2001 I can relate SO much to the above comments, as I was a grocery checker for over 20 years. When my *privately* owned store was bought out by a large corporate chain, that is when *things* started happening for the worst. This company led you to believe they were *here* for you on every possible level. They were NOT. When they came in and remodeled our store, they changed all the checkstands, and in effect, they were completely opposite of what they had been. They also brought in new registers and a new system. So we were all forced to LEARN all new codes AND procedures and memorize at least 50 produce codes, then be tested, scan groceries completely BACKWARDS(which was extremely awkward and put an enormous strain on the body in general),and work around the remodeling process. I filed a claim 6 months after working under these conditions, as I lost the use of my left arm and shoulder due to the STRESS of reaching and grabbing groceries in a most *awkward* and *poorly* designed checkstand that CLEARLY HURTS the body. I wrote a letter to OSHA and explained to them that they NEED to have this company comply with OSHA standards in order to keep people from being injured and filing claims. NOTHING has, or WILL be done to correct this problem. OSHA came out, wrote a report, recommended changes, and STILL nothing has come of it. Unfortunately, it WILL catch up to the people I used to work with eventually, and they will have to *live* with the consequences of working in an unhealthy work station, because the *COMPANY* feels there is nothing wrong with the design. Do you think MY company cares? NOT abit. This is just another example of *corporate greed*, and PROFITS BEFORE PEOPLE. I am never returning to that form of work, NOR would I want to. However, now the quality of MY life has been greatly diminished. I have written letters to congress, representatives, OSHA, my UNION(UFCW), and NOTHING comes from it. I personally think *WE* are fighting a losing battle. How does anyone *fight* the corruption under this mendacious system?? Now with BUSH in office, it can only get worse. LP |
| LP |
Re: Opponents to Seek Repeal of Worker Protection Measure (Currently 0 replies)
Posted At 14:03:23 01/13/2001 I can relate SO much to the above comments, as I was a grocery checker for over 20 years. When my *privately* owned store was bought out by a large corporate chain, that is when *things* started happening for the worst. This company led you to believe they were *here* for you on every possible level. They were NOT. When they came in and remodeled our store, they changed all the checkstands, and in effect, they were completely opposite of what they had been. They also brought in new registers and a new system. So we were all forced to LEARN all new codes AND procedures and memorize at least 50 produce codes, then be tested, scan groceries completely BACKWARDS(which was extremely awkward and put an enormous strain on the body in general),and work around the remodeling process. I filed a claim 6 months after working under these conditions, as I lost the use of my left arm and shoulder due to the STRESS of reaching and grabbing groceries in a most *awkward* and *poorly* designed checkstand that CLEARLY HURTS the body. I wrote a letter to OSHA and explained to them that they NEED to have this company comply with OSHA standards in order to keep people from being injured and filing claims. NOTHING has, or WILL be done to correct this problem. OSHA came out, wrote a report, recommended changes, and STILL nothing has come of it. Unfortunately, it WILL catch up to the people I used to work with eventually, and they will have to *live* with the consequences of working in an unhealthy work station, because the *COMPANY* feels there is nothing wrong with the design. Do you think MY company cares? NOT abit. This is just another example of *corporate greed*, and PROFITS BEFORE PEOPLE. I am never returning to that form of work, NOR would I want to. However, now the quality of MY life has been greatly diminished. I have written letters to congress, representatives, OSHA, my UNION(UFCW), and NOTHING comes from it. I personally think *WE* are fighting a losing battle. How does anyone *fight* the corruption under this mendacious system?? Now with BUSH in office, it can only get worse. LP |
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