WHEREAS:
Fighting for safer workplaces and protecting the lives and health of members is a top priority for AFSCME; and
WHEREAS:
Twenty-two years have elapsed since passage of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act, but the terrible toll of workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities remains inexcusably high; and
WHEREAS:
Almost eight million public employees in 27 states are not covered by federally approved OSHA plans, although public employees do some of the most dangerous and unpleasant work our society demands to provide safe and pleasant fives for Americans, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 does not provide for mandatory coverage of public employees; and
WHEREAS:
It is estimated that each year over 1700 public employees are killed in workplace accidents and half a million workers suffer disabling injuries. The full extent of hazards in the public sector is unknown because accurate injury and illness statistics do not exist for public employees, nor do these statistics cover occupationally related illnesses; and
WHEREAS:
Providing a safe and healthy workplace for public employees is not an "unfunded mandate," but a responsibility that all employers have towards their employees; and
WHEREAS:
An AFSCME commissioned study entitled "Saving Money, Saving Lives, OSHA Coverage for Public Employees" conducted by Ruth Ruttenberg and Associates, an economic consulting firm, found that public sector OSHA coverage could actually save state and local governments as much as $2.1 billion a year, collectively. The study found that the cost of not covering public sector workers under OSHA is far too high. These costs include the cost of replacing workers, medical benefits, workers' compensation, disability pensions, retraining new workers, and investigating accidents, to name a few; and
WHEREAS:
OSHA’s regulatory process has reached bureaucratic gridlock, with new standards being issued only after lengthy delays, and usually under court order; and
WHEREAS:
AFSCME members work on the frontier of unregulated occupational safety and health hazards including infectious diseases, indoor air pollution, back injuries, violence in the workplace, video display terminals and toxic wastes; and
WHEREAS:
The problem of violence in the workplace is plaguing AFSCME members who work in correctional facilities, mental health institutions, social services, housing projects, urban areas, on city streets, and elsewhere; and
WHEREAS:
The Comprehensive Occupational Safety and Health Reform Act, which has been introduced in Congress, will provide coverage for public employees, mandatory joint labor-management health and safety committees, written health and safety programs, an enhanced right to refuse hazardous work and faster standard.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME continue to provide technical assistance, training and education materials on health and safety, and hold local, regional and national conferences as appropriate; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME councils and locals should continually educate their members on health and safety hazards and solutions and commit adequate staff support to resolving health and safety problems; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME councils and locals are urged to establish strong health and safety committees and actively seek to introduce language into contracts and or legislation specifying the employer's obligation to provide a workplace free from recognized or suspected hazards, the right of employees to refuse hazardous work, and management's obligation to abide by all OSHA standards and regulations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME directly or through congressional action, urge OSHA and/or EPA to issue regulations covering indoor air pollution, inorganic particulates and irritants, asbestos in public and commercial buildings, methylene chloride, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, pesticides, ergonomics, and video display terminals; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME urge OSHA on the federal and state levels to address the issue of violence as a workplace hazard, and issue standards to protect employees from violence in the workplace; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME members fight to oppose unfunded mandate amendments to the OSHA reform bill which would prevent the OSHA coverage of public sector employees; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME observe every April 28 as Workers Memorial Day and work with other unions to make the day a major event to remind the American public of the toll of workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths and that AFSCME encourage such activities as rallies, wearing black arm bands, dedicating memorials, and moments of silence to commemorate our injured and killed sisters and brothers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME work with other labor organizations and health and safety reform groups to demand the expansion of more occupational health clinics and increase their availability in African-American, poor, urban, and rural communities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME work with community environmental groups that are fighting against environmental and health hazards created by businesses in the African-American communities to pass national and state legislation that would put greater restrictions and place greater accountability on the part of these companies to ensure and safeguard the health of these communities and their workers; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
That all AFSCME affiliates strongly support passage of the Comprehensive Occupational Safety and Health Reform Act.
SUBMITTED BY:
INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARDBrenda Stokely, President and Delegate
Local 215, Council 1707
New York