| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 14, 2001 |
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The Crippling of Working America: Food and Commercial Workers Union Renews the Fight for an Ergonomics Standard If big business thinks it can ignore ergonomic hazards because their bought-and-paid for politicians killed the standard last week, they are fooling themselves. The UFCW is going to immediately begin to file complaints under the general duty clause of the federal workplace safety law in all work locations with ergonomic hazards. Doug Dority, UFCW President A decade ago, another UFCW President met with another Secretary of Labor appointed by another President Bush. That meeting launched the effort for an ergonomic standard. The ergonomic standard that was killed last week had its beginnings under Labor Secretary Elizabeth Dole during the George Bush Administration. When the Republican congressional leadership killed the ergonomic standard last week, they betrayed the legacy of a Republican Administration and, gave fresh evidence that the congressional Republicans, and, George W. Bush, will sacrifice the health and well-being of workers to the special interests of corporate America. George W. Bush broke faith with America's workers. And broke his promise to be "President for all Americans." Working America was shut out of the process. No hearings. No witnesses. Just a corporate powered, political steamroller, that crushed the concerns of workers. America's workers will not forget, but, we are not stuck in the past, we are going to move forward. We may have lost a battle, but, the struggle for an ergonomic standard goes on. Today, we are going to meet with the newest Secretary of Labor to renew the fight to protect workers from the crippling injuries that result from ergonomic hazards. We will ask for decisive and forceful action to develop an ergonomic standard. The Secretary pledged last week "to pursue a comprehensive approach to ergonomics" which may, as the Secretary said, "include new rulemaking." The time to start is now! We will also ask the Secretary of Labor to take immediate enforcement action under the general duty clause of the federal workplace safety and health law, a clause that provides that workers will have safe workplaces, to protect workers from ergonomic hazards. The UFCW will immediately begin to file complaints with OSHA in all work locations with ergonomic hazards. We expect, and, workers will demand, OSHA enforcement action. If big business thinks it can ignore ergonomic hazards because its bought-and-paid for politicians killed the standard last week, they are fooling themselves. The UFCW has 1.4 million members. The overwhelming majority are ready to mobilize for this fight?and, they are committed to winning this fight. |
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