UFCW plays key role in establishment
of a national ergonomics standard
UFCW members work in some of the most dangerous industries in this country. Workers who hold jobs in meatpacking, poultry, and food processing plants, in nursing homes, and garment and textile plants, all suffer from crippling injuries to the wrist, shoulders, and backs. Workers in the retail food industry suffer crippling injuries from carpal tunnel syndrome, low back injury and rotator cuff syndrome. Workers who suffer these injuries are in jobs that require repetitive and forceful movements.
The UFCW has been addressing the problem of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) since the late 1970's, when it began alerting employers in meatpacking plants and OSHA about the repetitive strain injuries its members were suffering and demanding job modifications to ameliorate the rate of these injuries.
In 1988, Congress held oversight hearings on the meatpacking industry's alarming injury rates and OSHA announced a major crackdown on unsafe conditions in the meatpacking industry.
In the same year, as a result of UFCW complaints, OSHA cited and fined one of the country's largest meatpackers $3.1 million, which at that point was the largest fine ever issued by the agency, for willfully exposing workers to conditions that resulted in repetitive-motion illnesses. As a consequence of OSHA's enforcement action against the company, there was a settlement agreement, to which the UFCW was a party, that established a comprehensive labor-management ergonomics program involving the union, workers, management, outside consultants, and OSHA.
A decade ago, former UFCW President Wynn met with then Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole - who made protecting workers from ergonomic injuries a top priority - to launch the effort to begin rulemaking on an ergonomics standard. The UFCW worked closely with the Department of Labor in developing the Red Meat Guidelines, which were issued by Secretary Dole.
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