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US Department of Labor's OSHA announces 'OSHA Listens' public
meeting to solicit comments and suggestions from stakeholder
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Protecting American Workers Alliance Press Release
Families Testimony's Coming 2/10/2010 >>>
USMWF Group Letter to OSHA |
Debi Koehler-Fergen
Katherine Rodriguez
Melissa King
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Tammy Miser
Tonya Ford
Wanda Dejesus |
USMWF's comments on Combustible Dust; Advance notice of proposed rulemaking.
KCET-TV Protected or Neglected Workplace Safety video
Brave New Films Sixteen workers are killed a day in the United States because of reckless negligence on the part of their employers. Under existing laws, these employers get a slap on the wrist, or walk away scot-free. Meanwhile, workers who blow the whistle face threats and retaliation at the workplace.
Have you lost someone in the workplace? Did OSHA contact you?
Below is an excerpt from a June 19, 2009 letter to a family signed by the Active Head and Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
"...the Agency sends them copies of citations, appeal letters, and the results of any informal settlements as soon as the documents are issued. In addition, once the investigation is completed, portions of the investigation file normally subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) are provided to family members without charge, upon written or oral request."
Most families have not had this experience however with the new administration we are hoping that this will change. Has this been your this has been experience. We are looking for families who have lost someone after June 19th to contact us and let us know what experience you have had. Please send your comments to
Tammy
« Bills in Waiting
Although the Secretary of Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis declared OSHA would begin the rulemaking on combustible dust a long over due bill that passed the House; we will keep it up as a reminder until it is released. There will be comment periods that we can take advantage of.
Much of H.R.2067 Protecting America's Workers Act was once part of a
Family Bill of Rights and has some new and exciting elements that have been fought for since USMWF's Beginning. Many family members got together in 2006 to put together a number of basic rights we felt was necessary for healing, functionality and a truly transparent investigative system that have been included in H.R. 2067. This bill will change the penalties and prosecution process and evaluate the penalties every four years, the employer must notify OSHA is there is an incident that causes a serious injury or death and preserve the evidence, OSHA may not classify any violation as unclassified, along with informing the families of their rights in the process, giving the injured and killed worker a voice by giving the family the right to a representative that will have the opportunity to meet with the secretary and right to participate in proceedings, be notified of all correspondences between the employer and OSHA, and the families will gain the citation report without cost. Families being included in H.R. 2067 is historic and all the families that have been involved whether they have worked on this particular goal or other rights for the families you should raise your head with pride that your voice and the voice of your loved one has been heard loud and clear.
Please take a moment to look over these bills at the left they are all important pieces of legislation and deserve our attention.
We recently added a model letter in support of the PAWA for the
families. We encourage you to send these out to your reps and if you need help as always contact someone at USMWF if you need help.
I have also included a cleaned up version of H.R.2067 Protecting America's Workers Act so it is a little easier for you all to read.
Charles Edward Marsh & The Public Welfare Foundation 2008
According to Anonymous Giver, a biography of Marsh by Philip Kopper, Marsh wrote that "public welfare" was "a pretty wide pair of words," by which he intended the Foundation to involve itself in "any activity which would promote the well-being and happiness of human beings." A document drafted at the time, according to Kopper, declared that the Foundation would make "gifts for education, charitable or benevolent uses in accordance with a plan which shall meet the changing need for such gifts with
flexibility...." We can not thank the Public Welfare Foundation enough for having faith in our efforts and the first to grant USMWF a way to get the job done!"
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