Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Worker Safety and Health
House & Senate Democrats Stand With Labor Leaders And Unveil “A Better Deal” For Workers
11.01.17 At A Time When The GOP & Special Interests Are Looking To Scale Back Worker Protections To Maximize Corporate & CEO Profits, Dems Unveil "A Better Deal," Which Would Safeguard American Workers' Freedom To Negotiate With Employers Dems' Plan Would Strengthen Penalties On Predatory Corporations That Violate Workers' Rights, Increase Workers' Abilities To Strike For Workplace Improvements, Protect Integrity Of Union Elections, Use Federal Purchasing Power To Help Expand Negotiating Abil… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Champion Innovation and Worker Protections at Sharing Economy Hearing
09.06.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, the Education and the Workforce Committee held a full committee hearing on "The Sharing Economy: Creating Opportunities for Innovation and Flexibility." At today's hearing Committee Democrats explored when it is fair, appropriate, and legal for sharing economy companies to classify workers as independent contractors. Committee Democrats also considered whether the independent contractor paradigm prevailing in the sharing economy and other industries reflects what the future … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Bill to Undermine Workers’ Rights
07.27.17 WASHINGTON - Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after House Republicans introduced the so-called "Save Local Business Act." This bill would amend the National Labor Relations Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act to prevent employees from holding joint employers accountable for wage theft and unfair labor practices. "Labor and employment laws have long held that, where more than one employer has the right to control the terms … Continue Reading
At Hearing, Democrats Support Worker Protections to Hold Employers Accountable
07.12.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, the Education and the Workforce Committee held a hearing on worker protections that allow employees to hold multiple entities accountable for wage theft, unfair labor practices or workplace safety violations. Labor and employment laws have long held, where more than one employer controls terms and conditions of employment, an employee may have multiple employers. This is referred to as "joint employment." A growing number of Americans are taking contingent work through tempo… Continue Reading
NELP Applauds Federal Legislation on Accurate Workplace Safety Records
05.15.17 Washington, DC - Following is a statement from Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project, in response to legislation being introduced today in the House and Senate that would restore the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's ability to enforce requirements for larger employers in the most dangerous industries to keep accurate records of serious workplace injuries: "The Accurate Workplace Injury and Illness Restoration Act is critical to ensuring the he… Continue Reading
National COSH Backs Legislation to Prevent Employers From Hiding Workplace Injuries
05.15.17 SAN DIEGO, CA - The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) said today that new legislation to prevent employers from hiding workplace injuries is crucial to protecting the health and safety of America's workers. "You can't fix a problem if you don't know it exists," said Jessica Martinez, co-executive director of National COSH. "It's critical to support legislation that will hold employers accountable when they try to hide crucial information about workplace hazard… Continue Reading
Takano, Murray, Courtney, Scott, Blumenthal Introduce Bill to Protect Workers
05.15.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, Congressmen Mark Takano (CA-41), Joe Courtney (CT-02), and Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, along with Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the "Accurate Workplace Injury & Illness Records Restoration Act." This legislation would reinstate the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) reco… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Don Blankenship’s Release from Prison
05.10.17 WASHINGTON - Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after Don Blankenship, the former CEO of Massey Energy, was released from prison after being convicted for conspiracy to violate federal mine safety laws that stemmed from the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion in West Virginia that claimed that lives of 29 miners. "The release of the former Massey CEO who served the maximum possible sentence of only one year for willfully violat… Continue Reading
Scott, Murray Statement on Silica Rule Delay
04.06.17 WASHINGTON, DC - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, issued the following statement after the Trump Administration announced that the enforcement of the crystalline silica standard for the construction industry has been delayed until September. "We are disappointed that the Trump Administration has chosen to del… Continue Reading
Scott, Cartwright, Casey, and Manchin Introduce Bills to Protect Miners, Strengthen Safety Standards
04.05.17 WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Congressman Matt Cartwright (PA-17), and Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) introduced the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2017, H.R. 1912 and the Robert C. Byrd Mine Safety Protection Act of 2017, H.R. 1903. These bills would reform the federal program that provides benefits to coal miners suffering from black lung disease and provide the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) with improved tools to investiga… Continue Reading
Griffith, Scott Request Black Lung Health Clinic Funding
04.03.17 Monday, April 3, 2017 - Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, led a letter to President Trump requesting an increase in funding for black lung health clinics. The Members in the letter requested, "$10 million for the black lung program, which is a $3.3 million increase over the $6.7 million funding level historically." The funding for the black lung health clinics has not increased in the past 5 ye… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on the Trump Administration Rolling Back Workplace Rule, Giving Serial Labor Law Violators a Free Pass
03.27.17 WASHINGTON, DC - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President Trump signed a Resolution of Disapproval (H.J. Res 37) which overturned the rule implementing the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order (EO). This rule would have ensured that contractors disclose their labor, safety and civil rights violations, and that federal agencies evaluate those violations which are serious, willful, repeated, and pervasive when determining whether a contractor should… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Urge Senate to Press Acosta on Upholding DOL Mission
03.21.17 WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Committee on the Education and Workforce Democrats sent a letter to the leaders of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions regarding the upcoming nomination hearing of Mr. R. Alexander Acosta, President Donald Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Department of Labor. Specifically, they want to know how Mr. Acosta intends to carry out the DOL's mission to "foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners [.]" "During Mr. Acosta's upcoming… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on President Trump’s FY18 Budget
03.16.17 WASHINGTON, DC - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the White House released an outline of its Fiscal Year 2018 budget priorities, known as the "skinny budget." "This budget proposal is yet another broken promise from the Administration to the American people. Cutting $54 billion from programs that help protect and support working families to learn and earn is no way to grow the national economy or put people back to work. Working families deserve a budget … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on the Rollback of Workplace Safety Protections
03.01.17 WASHINGTON - Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the House voted 231-191 to pass H.J. Res 83, a Congressional Review Act (CRA) Resolution of Disapproval that would overturn an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule clarifying that employers have a continuing obligation to record injuries and illnesses. "Some unscrupulous employers are already cooking the books by failing to record the most serious wo… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Andrew Puzder
02.15.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement today after Andrew Puzder withdrew his nomination to serve as U.S. Secretary of Labor: "The Department of Labor has a responsibility to ensure our nation's working people earn a living wage, come home safe at the end of the day, and retire with dignity. Committee Democrats had serious concerns with Mr. Puzder's nomination from the beginning, which we raised in a letter to Senators Alexander and Murray. I hope that … Continue Reading
House Democrats Introduce Bill to Strengthen Worker Health and Safety Law
02.08.17 WASHINGTON- This week, Democrats on the House Education and the Workforce Committee reintroduced the Protecting America's Workers Act, legislation that strengthens and modernizes the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The bill would give the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) tools to ensure that employers promptly correct hazardous working conditions, protect workers from retaliation when they blow the whistle on unsafe working conditions, and hold employers accountab… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Republican Efforts to Dismantle Critical Worker Protections
02.02.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) spoke on the House Floor against H.J. Res. 37 - a measure that would dismantle President Obama's Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order which ensures that taxpayer funds are not awarded to government contractors who willfully and repeatedly engage in labor law violations, such as wage theft or maintaining unsafe workplaces. H.J. Res. 37 passed by a vote of 236-187. Below are Ranking Member Scott's remarks. "Mr. Speaker: Before I address the … Continue Reading
Scott, Committee Democrats Urge Senate to Fully Account for Puzder’s Business Record
01.31.17 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), and other Committee on the Education and the Workforce Democrats sent a letter to the leaders on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, urging them to conduct a complete and thorough investigation of Andrew Puzder, President Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. Secretary of Labor. In light of Mr. Puzder's past statements and business practices, there are serious concerns about whether he would fulfill this critical mission i… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Latest Administration Action to Protect Workers
01.17.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) released the final rule on Examinations of Working Places in Metal and Nonmental Mines, which will cover nearly 250,000 American miners at almost 12,000 metal and nonmetal mining operations. "Lives and limbs will be saved by MSHA's updated mine examination rule for operators of metal and nonmetal mines and quarries. The rule will require operators to inspect for … Continue Reading