On April 28, Workers Memorial Day is observed to remember those who have suffered and died on the job and to renew the fight for safe workplaces. Workers' Memorial Day 2008 was held Monday 4/28/2008 in Market Square Pittsburgh from noon to 1PM. Pittsburgh is celebrating its 250th anniversary and Workers’ Memorial Day honored the thousands of workers who died on the job building this city. This event was organized by the Allegheny County Labor Council (AFL-CIO) , the Labor and Religion Coalition and the USW. Prior to the event the Crystal Eastman State Historical Marker was dedicated.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Workers' Memorial Day 2008 Pittsburgh
Monday, April 28, 2008
: Keep America's Workers Safe
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Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 2:18 PM
Subject: Keep America's Workers Safe
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Thursday, April 24, 2008
AFL-CIO Weblog | ‘Death on the Job’ Report: More Workers Killed, Fewer Employer Penalties
AFL-CIO Weblog | ‘Death on the Job’ Report: More Workers Killed, Fewer Employer Penalties
More workers are being killed on the job, but employers who are found to have violated federal safety laws in fatality cases are paying as little as $750 in penalties for each death, according to the latest edition of the AFL-CIO’s annual report Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect.
Released today, the 17th edition of the national and state-by-state profiles on worker safety and health in the United States reveals that in 2006, 5,840 workers died from workplace injuries, compared with 5,734 in 2005. The figures show a continued and significant increase in fatalities among Latino and foreign-born workers. The year 2006 is the most recent year for which U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures are available.
The report shows that each day in 2006, 16 workers were fatally injured on the job and more than 11,200 were hurt or made sick. But the price workers pay for toiling in dangerous jobs climbs even higher when the tally includes the 50,000 to 60,000 workers who die every year from occupational diseases.
The report was released in conjunction with Workers Memorial Day, April 28, a day set aside every year to honor workers killed and hurt on the job and highlight the need for improved job safety standards.
More workers are being killed on the job, but employers who are found to have violated federal safety laws in fatality cases are paying as little as $750 in penalties for each death, according to the latest edition of the AFL-CIO’s annual report Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect.
Released today, the 17th edition of the national and state-by-state profiles on worker safety and health in the United States reveals that in 2006, 5,840 workers died from workplace injuries, compared with 5,734 in 2005. The figures show a continued and significant increase in fatalities among Latino and foreign-born workers. The year 2006 is the most recent year for which U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics figures are available.
The report shows that each day in 2006, 16 workers were fatally injured on the job and more than 11,200 were hurt or made sick. But the price workers pay for toiling in dangerous jobs climbs even higher when the tally includes the 50,000 to 60,000 workers who die every year from occupational diseases.
The report was released in conjunction with Workers Memorial Day, April 28, a day set aside every year to honor workers killed and hurt on the job and highlight the need for improved job safety standards.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Workers Memorial Day Pittsburgh Part 2
On April 28, Workers Memorial Day is observed to remember those who have suffered and died on the job and to renew the fight for safe workplaces. Workers' Memorial Day 2008 will be held Monday 4/28/2008 in Market Square Pittsburgh from noon to 1PM. Pittsburgh will be celebrating its 250th anniversary and we will reflect on the thousands of workers who died on the job building this city. This event , organized by the Allegheny County Labor Council (AFL-CIO) , the Labor and Religion Coalition and the USW, is handicapped accessed. Contact info 412-999-7598
Monday, April 14, 2008
Shame on Elaine » All you need to know about Elaine Chao
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2008
9:22 AM
CONTACT: American Rights At Work
Josh Goldstein 202-822-2127 x118
954-254-4900 (Cell) jgoldstein@americanrightsatwork.org
Campaign Exposes Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao's Corporate Ties and Record of Failings
American Rights at Work Demands Accountability and Immediate Change of Course
NEW YORK - February 12 - American Rights at Work today launched an unprecedented web-based campaign highlighting the numerous failures of Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, President Bush's longest-serving cabinet member. Through http://ShameOnElaine.org, the public will get a glimpse of the egregious policies Chao has inflicted on America's workers, including her rollbacks of critical mine safety protections, hostility toward workers and their unions, and collaboration with corporate interests, most notably through her husband, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
"Elaine Chao's family connections and corporate ties have transformed the Department of Labor into the 'Department of Business,'" said Mary Beth Maxwell, Executive Director of American Rights at Work. "From littering the Labor Department with individuals holding a blatant corporate agenda to jeopardizing the health and safety of workers across America, Chao has undermined the role of the very agency she's supposed to manage."
Engaging hundreds of thousands of online activists, bloggers, and workers' rights advocates, American Rights at Work is increasing pressure on Chao to reverse course during her remaining year as Secretary of Labor while informing the public of the numerous actions she's taken on behalf of corporate interests and against workers.
"This is a classic case of a fox guarding the henhouse. Unlike her cohorts in the Bush administration, Chao has escaped much-needed public scrutiny of her record. Elaine Chao's long honeymoon is over as we are taking her to task on a wide range of issues and policies she's supported to the detriment of America's workers," said Maxwell.
As the administration enters its final year, American Rights at Work will demand accountability from Chao and help raise the standards necessary for the next Secretary of Labor. The campaign will run through the remainder of Chao's tenure, giving Americans a unique opportunity to weigh in online and participate in the debate surrounding her legacy.
For more information, visit http://ShameOnElaine.org.
American Rights at Work is a leading labor policy and advocacy organization dedicated to educating the American public about the barriers that workers face when they attempt to exercise their rights to freely and fairly form unions and engage in collective bargaining.
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2008
9:22 AM
CONTACT: American Rights At Work
Josh Goldstein 202-822-2127 x118
954-254-4900 (Cell) jgoldstein@americanrightsatwork.org
Campaign Exposes Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao's Corporate Ties and Record of Failings
American Rights at Work Demands Accountability and Immediate Change of Course
NEW YORK - February 12 - American Rights at Work today launched an unprecedented web-based campaign highlighting the numerous failures of Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, President Bush's longest-serving cabinet member. Through http://ShameOnElaine.org, the public will get a glimpse of the egregious policies Chao has inflicted on America's workers, including her rollbacks of critical mine safety protections, hostility toward workers and their unions, and collaboration with corporate interests, most notably through her husband, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
"Elaine Chao's family connections and corporate ties have transformed the Department of Labor into the 'Department of Business,'" said Mary Beth Maxwell, Executive Director of American Rights at Work. "From littering the Labor Department with individuals holding a blatant corporate agenda to jeopardizing the health and safety of workers across America, Chao has undermined the role of the very agency she's supposed to manage."
Engaging hundreds of thousands of online activists, bloggers, and workers' rights advocates, American Rights at Work is increasing pressure on Chao to reverse course during her remaining year as Secretary of Labor while informing the public of the numerous actions she's taken on behalf of corporate interests and against workers.
"This is a classic case of a fox guarding the henhouse. Unlike her cohorts in the Bush administration, Chao has escaped much-needed public scrutiny of her record. Elaine Chao's long honeymoon is over as we are taking her to task on a wide range of issues and policies she's supported to the detriment of America's workers," said Maxwell.
As the administration enters its final year, American Rights at Work will demand accountability from Chao and help raise the standards necessary for the next Secretary of Labor. The campaign will run through the remainder of Chao's tenure, giving Americans a unique opportunity to weigh in online and participate in the debate surrounding her legacy.
For more information, visit http://ShameOnElaine.org.
American Rights at Work is a leading labor policy and advocacy organization dedicated to educating the American public about the barriers that workers face when they attempt to exercise their rights to freely and fairly form unions and engage in collective bargaining.
###
Friday, April 11, 2008
Gary Puleio Retrospective 4/13/1948 -- 8/15/2001
Gary Puleio (4/13/1948—8/15/2001) http://garypuleio.blogspot.com was killed at Meadville Redi-Mix Concrete, where he had been employed only 3 months as a non union cement truck driver. He fell 25 feet while shoveling gravel off a hopper at the top of a concrete t tower. The company claimed he “just wandered up there on his own” not wearing any safety equipment at the end of his driving shift rather than being assigned this dangerous task. OSHA accepted this implausible excuse and after admitting NO wrongdoing Redi-Mix paid a $6000 fine for REPEAT violations for not posting signs at a confined space. Redi-Mix had multiple serious violations issued only months before Gary was killed which were informally settled with reduced fines. This video is a tribute to a fine man whose life was brutally taken due to unsafe working conditions, lack of corporate accountability and an inadequate regulatory system
Friday, April 04, 2008
‘Undue Influence’ at Crandall Canyon? - New York Times
‘Undue Influence’ at Crandall Canyon? - New York Times
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
April 4, 2008
Editorial
‘Undue Influence’ at Crandall Canyon?
The tales of regulatory negligence by the Bush administration never seem to end. An investigation into the death of six coal miners and three would-be rescuers last summer in Utah faults the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration for failing to properly oversee the high-risk mining technique that led to the collapse of the Crandall Canyon Mine.
The finding, by the Labor Department’s inspector general, presents a stark warning of possible future disasters now that the coal industry is booming. Companies are increasingly turning to the riskier production methods used at Crandall Canyon — techniques that demand more aggressive vigilance to ensure miners’ safety.
The mine agency lacked a rigorous oversight plan required by law to monitor roof safety at Crandall Canyon as workers there conducted “retreat mining” — winnowing coal pillars bracing the mine ceiling — to extract as much coal as possible. Mining-induced seismic jolts eventually obliterated these supports.
The Bush administration’s patronage-driven penchant for appointing industry executives to regulate their own industry is well known. So are the costs. In the Crandall Canyon investigation, the inspector general pointedly questioned whether the mine agency was “free from undue influence by the mine operator.”
The finding is yet another reason why Congress must urgently pass a mine safety bill that would mandate more stringent oversight of retreat mining and other needed reforms. The bill has been approved by the House. The Senate’s companion measure must not be delayed by pro-industry lawmakers willing to put more lives at risk for the sake of Big Coal’s bottom line.
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April 4, 2008
Editorial
‘Undue Influence’ at Crandall Canyon?
The tales of regulatory negligence by the Bush administration never seem to end. An investigation into the death of six coal miners and three would-be rescuers last summer in Utah faults the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration for failing to properly oversee the high-risk mining technique that led to the collapse of the Crandall Canyon Mine.
The finding, by the Labor Department’s inspector general, presents a stark warning of possible future disasters now that the coal industry is booming. Companies are increasingly turning to the riskier production methods used at Crandall Canyon — techniques that demand more aggressive vigilance to ensure miners’ safety.
The mine agency lacked a rigorous oversight plan required by law to monitor roof safety at Crandall Canyon as workers there conducted “retreat mining” — winnowing coal pillars bracing the mine ceiling — to extract as much coal as possible. Mining-induced seismic jolts eventually obliterated these supports.
The Bush administration’s patronage-driven penchant for appointing industry executives to regulate their own industry is well known. So are the costs. In the Crandall Canyon investigation, the inspector general pointedly questioned whether the mine agency was “free from undue influence by the mine operator.”
The finding is yet another reason why Congress must urgently pass a mine safety bill that would mandate more stringent oversight of retreat mining and other needed reforms. The bill has been approved by the House. The Senate’s companion measure must not be delayed by pro-industry lawmakers willing to put more lives at risk for the sake of Big Coal’s bottom line.
Home
World U.S. N.Y. / Region Business Technology Science Health Sports Opinion Arts Style Travel Jobs Real Estate Automobiles Back to Top
Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company
Privacy Policy Search Corrections RSS First Look Help Contact Us Work for Us Site Map
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Friday, March 07, 2008
AFL-CIO Weblog | Crandall Canyon Mine Owner Showed ‘Callous Disregard for the Law’
AFL-CIO Weblog | Crandall Canyon Mine Owner Showed ‘Callous Disregard for the Law’
- AFL-CIO Weblog - http://blog.aflcio.org -
Crandall Canyon Mine Owner Showed ‘Callous Disregard for the Law’
Posted By Mike Hall On March 6, 2008 @ 5:50 pm In Miscellaneous | 4 Comments
The owner of the [1] Crandall Canyon mine in Utah where six coal miners and three rescue workers [2] died last year showed a “callous disregard for the law and for safety standards, and hardworking miners lost their lives,” says Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The committee issued its [3] report on the disaster today.
Kennedy says the U.S. Justice Department should begin a criminal investigation into the circumstances that led to the Aug. 6 collapse that killed six miners—whose bodies have [4] never been recovered—and the Aug. 16 deaths of the three rescue workers.
The committee report also charges that the Mine Safety and Health Administration ([5] MSHA) failed to protect the Crandall Canyon miners by “rubber-stamping” a dangerous mining plan. Says Kennedy:
The committee’s investigation has revealed that the owner of Crandall Canyon mine, Murray Energy, disregarded dangerous conditions at the mine, failed to tell federal regulators about these dangers, conducted unauthorized mining and—as a result—exposed its miners to serious risks. MSHA also unconscionably failed to protect miners by hastily rubber-stamping the plan….This deserves a full criminal investigation by the Department of Justice.
Mine Workers ([6] UMWA) President Cecil Roberts says the report confirms that what the union has pointed to as the causes behind the deadly collapse.
The report says that the mining plan that led to the cave-in at the mine was flawed and should not have been submitted by the company nor approved by the [MSHA], which echoes what the UMWA has said from the very outset of the investigation into the tragedy.
[7] Robert Murray, CEO of Murray Energy, has yet to come before Senate or House committees, declining several invitations to testify. He has since been [8] subpoenaed to appear before the Senate Appropriations labor subcommittee and the House Education and Labor Committee. Says Roberts:
The report also indicates that the mine’s operator, Bob Murray, far overstepped his bounds before the tragedy occurred, and that MSHA did not take the proper action to stop him—indeed, the report says that Murray “bullied MSHA and got away with it.”
Both Kennedy and Roberts say the report shows the urgent need for tougher mine safety laws, including the [9] S-MINER Act passed by the House earlier this year. Says Roberts:
We urge the HELP Committee to now take up the S-MINER Act as soon as possible and send it on to the full Senate. American coal miners are still dying just because they went to work. We need the enhanced protections the S-MINER Act provides.
Here are some of the key findings of the report, which is available [10] here:
Murray Energy and its technical consultant, Agapito Associates, failed to make sufficiently conservative engineering assumptions and ignored the history of the mine’s instability.
MSHA missed significant flaws in Agapito’s analysis, dismissed critical findings by MSHA’s own engineer and did not submit the plans—which proposed one of the most hazardous mining operations ever attempted—for review by MSHA’s expert technical staff.
Murray Energy ignored substantial evidence of instability during mining operations, continuing to extract coal despite mounting evidence of danger in the North Barrier. The company could have taken the time to notify MSHA of these conditions, stop mining and reassess the risks.
Murray Energy encountered—and ignored—instability in the South Barrier where the accident occurred. Again, they did not take the time to report to MSHA and reassess, but continued mining, retreating under deeper cover.
Murray Energy may have been conducting unauthorized mining right before the mine collapse. The evidence uncovered by the investigation reflects that Murray Energy was illegally mining the remnant barrier pillar just before the August 2007 accident.
MSHA entered into an illegal agreement with Murray Energy. The evidence strongly suggests that MSHA entered into an informal agreement with a Murray Energy official agreeing that MSHA would relax the reporting requirements for seismic events occurring at Murray Energy mines.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article printed from AFL-CIO Weblog: http://blog.aflcio.org
URL to article: http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/03/06/breaking-news-crandall-canyon-mine-owner-showed-callous-disregard-for-the-law/
URLs in this post:
[1] Crandall Canyon: http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/10/03/crandall-canyon-mother-hard-to-have-hope-when-you-have-your-heart-
broken/
[2] died last year : http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/08/20/utah-miners-may-be-trapped-forever/
[3] report: http://kennedy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/CCM%20Report%20Final%20FOR%20POSTING%20020608.pdf
[4] never been recovered: http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/08/20/utah-miners-may-be-trapped-forever/
[5] MSHA: http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/11/19/mine-agency-skipped-safety-inspections-senate-panel-subpoenas-cran
dall-canyon-ceo/
[6] UMWA: http://www.umwa.org/
[7] Robert Murray: http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/09/08/crandall-canyon-putting-production-and-profits-ahead-of-people/
[8] subpoenaed: http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/02/25/crandall-canyon-owner-must-face-capitol-hill-lawmakers/
[9] S-MINER Act: http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/01/16/house-passes-mine-safety-bill-bush-plans-to-veto/
[10] here: http://kennedy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/CCM%20Report%20Final%20FOR%20POSTING%20020608.pdf
Click here to print.
- AFL-CIO Weblog - http://blog.aflcio.org -
Crandall Canyon Mine Owner Showed ‘Callous Disregard for the Law’
Posted By Mike Hall On March 6, 2008 @ 5:50 pm In Miscellaneous | 4 Comments
The owner of the [1] Crandall Canyon mine in Utah where six coal miners and three rescue workers [2] died last year showed a “callous disregard for the law and for safety standards, and hardworking miners lost their lives,” says Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The committee issued its [3] report on the disaster today.
Kennedy says the U.S. Justice Department should begin a criminal investigation into the circumstances that led to the Aug. 6 collapse that killed six miners—whose bodies have [4] never been recovered—and the Aug. 16 deaths of the three rescue workers.
The committee report also charges that the Mine Safety and Health Administration ([5] MSHA) failed to protect the Crandall Canyon miners by “rubber-stamping” a dangerous mining plan. Says Kennedy:
The committee’s investigation has revealed that the owner of Crandall Canyon mine, Murray Energy, disregarded dangerous conditions at the mine, failed to tell federal regulators about these dangers, conducted unauthorized mining and—as a result—exposed its miners to serious risks. MSHA also unconscionably failed to protect miners by hastily rubber-stamping the plan….This deserves a full criminal investigation by the Department of Justice.
Mine Workers ([6] UMWA) President Cecil Roberts says the report confirms that what the union has pointed to as the causes behind the deadly collapse.
The report says that the mining plan that led to the cave-in at the mine was flawed and should not have been submitted by the company nor approved by the [MSHA], which echoes what the UMWA has said from the very outset of the investigation into the tragedy.
[7] Robert Murray, CEO of Murray Energy, has yet to come before Senate or House committees, declining several invitations to testify. He has since been [8] subpoenaed to appear before the Senate Appropriations labor subcommittee and the House Education and Labor Committee. Says Roberts:
The report also indicates that the mine’s operator, Bob Murray, far overstepped his bounds before the tragedy occurred, and that MSHA did not take the proper action to stop him—indeed, the report says that Murray “bullied MSHA and got away with it.”
Both Kennedy and Roberts say the report shows the urgent need for tougher mine safety laws, including the [9] S-MINER Act passed by the House earlier this year. Says Roberts:
We urge the HELP Committee to now take up the S-MINER Act as soon as possible and send it on to the full Senate. American coal miners are still dying just because they went to work. We need the enhanced protections the S-MINER Act provides.
Here are some of the key findings of the report, which is available [10] here:
Murray Energy and its technical consultant, Agapito Associates, failed to make sufficiently conservative engineering assumptions and ignored the history of the mine’s instability.
MSHA missed significant flaws in Agapito’s analysis, dismissed critical findings by MSHA’s own engineer and did not submit the plans—which proposed one of the most hazardous mining operations ever attempted—for review by MSHA’s expert technical staff.
Murray Energy ignored substantial evidence of instability during mining operations, continuing to extract coal despite mounting evidence of danger in the North Barrier. The company could have taken the time to notify MSHA of these conditions, stop mining and reassess the risks.
Murray Energy encountered—and ignored—instability in the South Barrier where the accident occurred. Again, they did not take the time to report to MSHA and reassess, but continued mining, retreating under deeper cover.
Murray Energy may have been conducting unauthorized mining right before the mine collapse. The evidence uncovered by the investigation reflects that Murray Energy was illegally mining the remnant barrier pillar just before the August 2007 accident.
MSHA entered into an illegal agreement with Murray Energy. The evidence strongly suggests that MSHA entered into an informal agreement with a Murray Energy official agreeing that MSHA would relax the reporting requirements for seismic events occurring at Murray Energy mines.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article printed from AFL-CIO Weblog: http://blog.aflcio.org
URL to article: http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/03/06/breaking-news-crandall-canyon-mine-owner-showed-callous-disregard-for-the-law/
URLs in this post:
[1] Crandall Canyon: http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/10/03/crandall-canyon-mother-hard-to-have-hope-when-you-have-your-heart-
broken/
[2] died last year : http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/08/20/utah-miners-may-be-trapped-forever/
[3] report: http://kennedy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/CCM%20Report%20Final%20FOR%20POSTING%20020608.pdf
[4] never been recovered: http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/08/20/utah-miners-may-be-trapped-forever/
[5] MSHA: http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/11/19/mine-agency-skipped-safety-inspections-senate-panel-subpoenas-cran
dall-canyon-ceo/
[6] UMWA: http://www.umwa.org/
[7] Robert Murray: http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/09/08/crandall-canyon-putting-production-and-profits-ahead-of-people/
[8] subpoenaed: http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/02/25/crandall-canyon-owner-must-face-capitol-hill-lawmakers/
[9] S-MINER Act: http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/01/16/house-passes-mine-safety-bill-bush-plans-to-veto/
[10] here: http://kennedy.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/CCM%20Report%20Final%20FOR%20POSTING%20020608.pdf
Click here to print.
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