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Workers Need Protection
Workers Need More Safety and Health Protection Last year job fatalities in the United States increased for the first time in a decade. More than 5,700 workers were killed by job injuries. Another 50,000-60,000 died from occupational diseases, including more than 10,000 deaths from asbestos-related diseases. Other major safety and health concerns facing workers today include issues of work organization such as: Many of these changes have been associated with repetitive strain injuries, stress, workplace violence and even fatalities. Immigrant workers have a disproportionate rate of injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the workplace largely because they are hired to do the most undesirable and dangerous jobs at the lowest wages. They often do not know what rights they have or what laws protect them, and they receive no training in safety and health. Language and cultural barriers make it difficult for them to learn their rights and those who lack immigration status are particularly fearful of speaking out. Employers frequently view immigrant workers as disposable and easy to exploit. The increase in fatalities among immigrant workers—particularly Hispanic and Latino workers—has been alarming. Since 1992, the number of fatalities to Hispanic workers has increased by 65 percent, from 508 deaths in 1992 to 840 in 2002. The situation is worse for foreign-born Hispanic workers, with fatal injuries more than doubling from 275 deaths in 1992 to 577 in 2002. Employers retaliate against thousands of workers each year who have raised job safety concerns or reporting injuries. Workers are fired or harassed simply because they want a safe place to work. OSHA whistle-blower and anti-retaliation provisions are too weak to provide any real protection to workers who try to exercise their legal rights. 2008 Safety Threats Combustible Dust Explosions
• Twenty five percent of dust explosions have been identified to have occurred in food processing facilities, including wet corn milling, sugar refineries, coffee manufacturing and flour processing plants.
• Deadly explosion at Imperial Sugar Refinery in Savannah, GA on February 7, 2008; 13 workers killed, dozens other severely burned.
• UFCW petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue an emergency temporary standard which would regulate combustible dust in sugar refineries and other food processing plants. UFCW also supported congressional action to force OSHA to issue standard through legislation.
CHAO AND OSHA: TOO LITTLE TOO LATE | Pork Plant Illness A New Disorder
Progressive Inflammatory Neuropathy (PIN) is a new and rare neurological disease among pork plant workers.
A number of UFCW members who work in two pork plants, Quality Pork Processors in Austin, Minnesota and Hormel in Freemont, Nebraska, have been afflicted with the new illness.
Common symptoms include pain, weakness, fatigue and numbness, starting in the lower limbs and moving up to the arms.
The illness has only occurred among workers exposed to a particular job; they all worked in a part of the plant that used compressed air to blow pig brains out of skulls. Three pork plants have discontinued this process.
| Diacetyl
Chemical used to make artificial butter flavoring in popcorn, pastries and frozen food.
Linked to a respiratory disease called bronchiolitis obliterans or popcorn lung thereby endangering food processing workers who produce or handle chemical.
UFCW, Teamsters and U.S. House Representatives petitioned OSHA for safety reform for these workers to no avail.
U.S. House of Representatives took legislative action by approving H.R. 2693 on September 26, 2007, requiring OSHA to issue an interim final standard to protect workers and reduce workplace exposure.
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