WHEREAS:

Each year more than 55,000 employees die from workplace injuries and illnesses, with about 60,000 sustaining permanent disabilities. In the public sector, more than 2,000 employees are killed each year and thousands more are injured and permanently disabled; and

WHEREAS:

Public employees were not included in the original Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and currently are covered by OSHA in only half the states, resulting in almost eight million public employees having no federally approved health and safety coverage -- an extremely troubling situation since the National Safety Council has determined that public employees suffer 3.5 times as many workplace deaths as private sector employees. The full extent of hazards in the public sector is unknown because accurate injury and illness statistics, including occupationally-related illnesses, do not exist; and

WHEREAS:

In 1970, Congress gave the Occupational Safety and Health Administration a mandate to enforce workplace safety and health laws and provide a safe environment for all workers. The death and injury rate has been cut in half since that time. The rate, however is still too high. New risks, such as musculoskeletal disorders, must be addressed, since they account for one-third of all lost-time injuries; and

WHEREAS:

The Congressional leadership has proposed slashing the enforcement budget of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration by as much as 33 percent. Such cuts will result in a substantial increase in the workplace death and injury rate. Congressional budget cuts are increasing the chances that states where public employees are covered may be forced to give up their state-run plans; and

WHEREAS:

The current budget crisis in Washington has created havoc at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The agency's budget has been cut but, also, millions of dollars have been shifted from programs which protect workers to programs which provide advice to employers. This situation clearly translates into unsafe workplaces for American workers and will ultimately lead to an increase in the workplace death and injury rate; and

WHEREAS:

Congressional leadership has proposed crippling changes to the law that would weaken the federal workplace safety and health program. In the Senate, S. 1423 would exempt 94 percent of all workplaces from routine inspections, in spite of the fact that in the three years following an OSHA inspection, injuries and illnesses decline by 22 percent; and

WHEREAS:

Legislative initiatives in Congress to dramatically change the federal regulatory process would make it difficult for the federal government to provide a responsible safety and health program. Weakening of the federal regulatory process will undermine the ability of OSHA to issue strong health and safety standards that protect workers; 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 materials.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That AFSCME continue its efforts in Congress and in state governments to purse legislation to require OSHA coverage for public employees in all states; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME continue to provide technical assistance, training and education materials on health and safety; 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 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 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue regulations covering indoor air pollution, asbestos in public and commercial buildings, methylene chloride, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, pesticides, and ergonomics; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME work with other labor organizations, health and safety reform groups and environmental organizations to fight against environmental and workplace health and safety hazards in the community; 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 death 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 continue to fight Congressional efforts to weaken federal workplace health and safety programs through legislation which would result in an increase in the death and injury rate, through budget cuts that would make it impossible to maintain enforcement programs and through changes in the regulatory process which would make it more difficult to issue standards; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That AFSCME International urges President Clinton to veto such legislation if it is passed by Congress; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

That AFSCME continue its commitment to providing a safe workplace to all Americans through a strong federally-enforced workplace safety and health program.

SUBMITTED BY:

Jan Corderman, President and Delegate
Cheryl Hannah, Secretary-Treasurer and Delegate
AFSCME Council 61
Iowa

Gary Waterhouse, President and Delegate
Curtis Searle, Secretary
AFSCME Council 15
Connecticut

Liz Larsen, President and Delegate
Faye Lee, Secretary
AFSCME Local 443, Council 28
Washington