Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Worker Safety and Health
House Democrats Reintroduce Miner Safety Reforms
03.21.13 WASHINGTON - House Democrats reintroduced legislation today to bring the nation's mine health and safety laws up to date, give mine safety officials the ability to effectively investigate and shut down habitually dangerous mines, and hold mine operators accountable for putting their workers in unnecessary danger. The Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act of 2013 is similar to legislation introduced in 2011. "It's been almost three years since the Upper Big Branch mine explosion. After numer… Continue Reading
ROCKEFELLER, MILLER, MANCHIN, RAHALL CALL ON DOL TO MAINTAIN FOCUS ON MINE SAFETY CASES
03.17.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Jay Rockefeller, Congressman George Miller, Senator Joe Manchin, and Congressman Nick Rahall today announced that they are pushing the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to maintain a strong focus on mine safety as the agency considers spending cuts. In a letter to DOL's Acting Secretary, the Members pushed back on DOL's sequestration plans that would disproportionately cut the Solicitor of Labor's efforts to reduce the backlog of appeals at the Federal Mine Safety and He… Continue Reading
Bill to Prevent Industrial Dust Explosions Re-Introduced in the House
02.14.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Rep. John Barrow (D-GA), and Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), the senior Democrat of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, reintroduced legislation today to prevent workplace explosions caused by combustible industrial dusts. Five years ago, a massive explosion the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Ga. killed 14 workers, injured dozens and caused millions of … Continue Reading
$1 Million Chevron Fine Insufficient Alone to Assure Change in Safety Culture, Rep. Miller Says
01.30.13 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) issued 25 citations totaling nearly $1 million against Chevron over significant violations uncovered at its Richmond, Calif. refinery after an August 6, 2012 fire. While there were no serious injuries to refinery workers who managed to escape harm, thousands of residen… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller: Final Mine Safety Rule Will Better Protect Miners' Lives, But Work Far from Completed
01.17.13 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration finalized a proposal today to close loopholes in the agency’s “pattern of violation” sanctions regulations that have allowed some mine operations to escape tougher penalties and face potential closure orders for a sustained pattern of health and safety violations. “I applaud the Mine… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Response to NRA Press Conference
12.21.12 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after today's National Rifle Association's (NRA) press conference. "To the NRA, gun violence is never about semi-automatic weapons and high capacity ammunition clips. Never. But to a majority of parents across the country, mass shootings and gun violence have everything to do with those types of assault weapons and people who have lost their… Continue Reading
GAO: Federal Workers Disabled in the Line of Duty Face Significant Cuts to Important Benefits Under Pending Proposals
11.26.12 WASHINGTON - Proposals by the Department of Labor and approved by the U.S. Senate as part of a postal reform bill (S. 1789) would reduce wage replacement benefits for work-related injuries far below what workers would have received had they been able to work a full career, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found in two reports released today. These provisions include reducing workers’ compensation at retirement age from 75 percent to 50 percent of the worker’s wages, lowering benefits … Continue Reading
Miller: GOP Proposal to Stop Black Lung Protections Outrageous
07.17.12 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today after House Appropriations Committee Republicans unveiled a spending bill that includes language to stop a decades-long effort to modernize black lung protections for the nation's coal miners. "House Republicans' proposal to stop modern protections against black lung disease for our nation's miners is outrageous and should be defeated… Continue Reading
Expansion of Voluntary Protection Program, Without More Resources, Could Impact OSHA’s Ability to Protect Workers
06.28.12 WASHINGTON, D.C - At a Workforce Protections Subcommittee hearing today, members explored the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), which recognizes employers with exemplary safety management programs and below average injury rates for their industry. The program exempts participants from regularly scheduled inspections, and there are advocates for its expansion. However, the program's efficacy and OSHA's ability to expand the program while also co… Continue Reading
Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.) Opening Statement for the Hearing on the VPP Program
06.28.12 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Below are the prepared remarks of U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce for the committee hearing entitled, “Promoting Workplace Safety through Voluntary Protection Programs”. *** Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing to examine the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) at the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Before we take any ste… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement after his Meeting with Upper Big Branch Mine Tragedy Families
06.07.12 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Labor Committee, issued the following statement after meeting today with families who lost loved ones at the April 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine explosion that killed 29 miners. Families were on Capitol Hill meeting with lawmakers asking them to strengthen protections for miners and increase penalties for mine operators who put miners in danger. It has been two years, two months and two days sinc… Continue Reading
Members of Congressional Monitoring Group on Labor Rights in Colombia Send Letter to President Obama
05.24.12 George Miller, the senior Democratic member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, joined other members of the Congressional Monitoring Group on Labor Rights in Colombia in sending a letter to President Obama last week expressing concern over a number of recent incidents of violence and threats against labor activists in Colombia. With the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement going into force earlier this month, the members emphasized the need for continued engagement with Colombia on its w… Continue Reading
House GOP Block Effort to Restore Health and Safety Protections and Oversight at Nuclear Weapons Facilities
05.17.12 WASHINGTON - House Republicans rejected consideration of an amendment last night to the defense authorization bill to restore important health and safety protections for workers and residents who live near nuclear weapons facilities operated by the Department of Energy. The amendment, offered by Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.), Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) and Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), would remove provisions of the Defense Authorization Act (HR 4310) that weaken a number of worker and public safet… Continue Reading
National Defense Authorization Act Threatens to Roll Back Safety Standards at Nuclear Sites
05.16.12 This week, the full House will debate two important amendments to last week’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) related to nuclear safety: one offered by Representatives Miller (CA), Visclosky (IN), and Sanchez (CA) to strike NDAA provisions that would erode safety standards and weaken oversight, and another offered by Rep. Smith (WA) that would strike provisions removing nuclear weapons from the Secretary of Energy’s jurisdiction. The Miller et al. amendment would protect the “adeq… Continue Reading
GAO Issues Report on Prevalence of Workplace Policies that May Discourage Injury and Illness Reporting
05.09.12 WASHINGTON - Workplace safety incentive programs and other policies in a majority of manufacturing worksites covering millions of workers have elements that may discourage the reporting of workplace related injuries and illnesses, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released today. GAO recommended that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issue new guidance to assist inspectors in identifying which safety incentives programs are eff… Continue Reading
New GAO Report: Burdensome OSHA Regulatory Process Costs Lives
04.19.12 WASHINGTON-Today, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Representative George Miller (D-CA), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) reacted to a new Government Accountability Office report on workplace safety, released at a HELP Committee hearing. The GAO compiled the report on burdensome rulemaking process the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) must use to regulate workplace safety, an… Continue Reading
Miller and Woolsey Statement on Two-Year Anniversary of the Upper Big Branch Mine Tragedy
04.05.12 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and Rep. Lynn Woolsey, the senior Democrat on the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, issued the following statement today on the two-year anniversary of the Upper Big Branch mine explosion that killed 29 miners. Miller and Woolsey are coauthors of the Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act (H.R. 1579). As chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, Miller called the only cong… Continue Reading
Illegal Advanced Notice of Mine Inspections Still a Problem, Puts Lives in the Crosshairs, Rep. Miller says
03.29.12 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today after the Mine Safety and Health Administration outlined recent incidents where mine operators and contractors provided unlawful advance notice of impending mine inspections in order to give enough time to cover up or fix hazardous conditions in mines before inspectors were able to arrive in the area where mining was being conducted. “Recent tro… Continue Reading
Congressional Action Needed to Prevent another Upper Big Branch Mine Tragedy, Experts tell House Panel
03.27.12 WASHINGTON - Nearly two years after the worst coal mine tragedy in four decades, witnesses told the House Education and the Workforce Committee today that Congress still needs to strengthen the law in order to keep miners safe on the job. In April 2010, a massive explosion ripped through the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia, killing 29 miners. Since then, four investigations have concluded that the actions of owner of the mine, Massey Energy, caused the tragedy. “We recognize that the… Continue Reading
Crandall Canyon Criminal Charges Long Awaited, Congress’ Job to Protect Miners Remains Unfinished, says Rep. Miller
03.09.12 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after the U.S. Attorney in Salt Lake City announced two criminal misdemeanor charges against Genwal Resources, a subsidiary of Murray Energy Corporation, related to the Crandall Canyon Mine tragedy that killed six miners and three would-be rescuers in August 2007. Under the chairmanship of Miller, the Education and Labor Committee launched an investiga… Continue Reading