Press Releases

Currently showing results related to Worker Safety and Health

Chairman Scott and Senator Warren Lead Request for Inspector General Audit of DOL's Controversial Child Labor Rule

01.08.19 WASHINGTON - Chairman Bobby Scott (D- Va.), Committee on Education and Labor and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led a letter to the Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General (IG) Scott Dahl requesting an audit of DOL to determine whether the agency deviated from agency regulatory and data quality requirements when it developed a proposed rule relaxing child labor standards in health care occupations. Joining Chairman Scott and Senator Warren in sending the letter are Representati… Continue Reading

Courtney Introduces Legislation to Reduce Violence Against Health Care and Social Service Workers

11.16.18 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Joe Courtney, (CT-02), a senior member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, introduced legislation aimed at curtailing rising rates of on the job violence facing health care and social service employees such as nurses, physicians, emergency responders, medical assistants, and social service workers. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, H.R. 7141, directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA… Continue Reading

Top House Democrats: Proposed Change to Child Labor Rules Could Endanger Young People and Patients

09.26.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), and Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41), and Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Labor released a proposed rule to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to operate patient lifts in health care settings. "This rushed proposal to repeal restrictions on teens' use of patient lifts could endanger the safety of young workers and the patients they serve. It appears the De… Continue Reading

47 Democrats Caution DOL About Plans to Weaken Hazardous Work Protections for Young Workers

08.02.18 WASHINGTON - Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human, Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Congressman Keith Ellison (MN-05), along with 42 other House Democrats sent a letter… Continue Reading

Scott, Neal Release New GAO Report on the Solvency of the Black Lung Trust Fund

06.04.18 WASHINGTON - Today, Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03), Committee on Education and the Workforce and Ranking Member Richard Neal (MA-01), Committee on Ways and Means issued the following statements after the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report titled, "Black Lung Benefits Program: Options for Improving Trust Fund Finances." The Members requested the report to investigate the solvency of the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund given the impending sunset of the coal tax rate at… Continue Reading

Scott Statement on 8th Anniversary of the Upper Big Branch Mine Explosion

04.05.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement on the eighth anniversary of the Upper Big Branch Mine explosion, which took the lives of 29 coal miners. "Since the Upper Big Branch Mine (UBB) explosion that took the lives of 29 coal miners eight years ago, all five independent investigation reports by state and federal agencies agree that the mine operator violated multiple safety standards. Key safety controls, such as water sprays, were disabled which enabled … Continue Reading

Committee Democrats Hold Administration Accountable for Miners' Health and Safety

02.06.18 WASHINGTON - Today, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) Assistant Secretary David G. Zatezalo testified before the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. Assistant Secretary Zatezalo's testimony comes as rates of pulmonary massive fibrosis (PMF) -- the most advanced form of black lung disease -- are surging among Appalachian miners. Committee Democrats raised concerns that, under the Trump administration, MSHA is not taking the necessary steps to address this public health crisis. … Continue Reading

Scott, DeLauro, Murray, Casey: Occupational Safety and Health Administration Is Abandoning Its Core Mission by Rejecting Safety Recommendations to Protect Vulnerable Meat and Poultry Plant Workers

02.02.18 Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA), Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), sent a letter to Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta raising questions about the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) decision to reject health and safety recommendations for workers in meat and poultry plants, including ensuring workers have access to bathroom facilities. The recommendations by the independent Government Acco… Continue Reading

More than 150 Democrats Ask Trump to Invest in Public School Infrastructure

01.17.18 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and 153 House Democrats sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging the administration to invest in the critical infrastructure that affects every city and town in the nation - our public schools. Too many of the more than 50 million students and six million staff who learn and work in our public schools spend their days in facilities that fail to make the grade. "To address this crisis, the federal government should partner with states and te… Continue Reading

Scott, Murray, Casey Unveil New Report Showing Need to Protect Meat & Poultry Workers

12.07.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and Senator Robert Casey (D-PA) released the findings of a Government Accountability Office report (GAO) calling for federal agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS), to do more to protect w… Continue Reading

Committee Democrats Hold Trump Administration Accountable for Anti-Worker Agenda

11.15.17 WASHINGTON - TODAY, the Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary R. Alexander Acosta testified before the full Committee on Education and the Workforce. As the Secretary, Mr. Acosta is the steward of the laws that govern our nation's workplaces and promote a fairer economy for all. Secretary Acosta's testimony comes at a critical time for America's working people. Despite low levels of unemployment, millions of workers are still struggling to make ends meet and get ahead in the workplace. Rather tha… Continue Reading

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

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