Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Worker Safety and Health
153 House Democrats to USTR Froman: Protect Workers’ Rights in TPP Negotiations
05.29.14 WASHINGTON, DC-More than 150 House Democrats today called on United States Trade Representative Michael Froman to do more to protect and strengthen international workers' rights as part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. Led by Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.), Mark Pocan (D-Wisc.), Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), 153 Democratic Representatives sent a letter to Ambassador Froman asking that the ongoing TPP negotiations include an enhanced framework for pr… Continue Reading
Leading Congressional Democrats Call for Stronger Oversight of Dangerous Chemical Storage Facilities
05.21.14 WASHINGTON—Following the recommendations of a newly released Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, leading Democratic lawmakers called on the Obama administration to better protect workers and communities against disasters like last year’s massive ammonium nitrate fertilizer explosion in West, Texas. “Last year’s devastating ammonium nitrate fertilizer explosion in West, Texas, is a tragic example of what can happen when there are inadequate protections on the use of highly explosive c… Continue Reading
House Leaders Call on Colombian President To Investigate Recent Bombing, Protect Worker Safety
05.15.14 WASHINGTON—In light of recent violence against workers throughout Colombia, today leaders from the U.S. House of Representatives asked the Colombian government to investigate the recent bombing of a public sector union’s headquarters in the industrial Colombian city of Cali and to further safeguard workers’ rights. Members of the Congressional Monitoring Group on Labor Rights in Colombia, which is charged with overseeing the implementation of the U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement’s (FTA) provi… Continue Reading
College Athletes Unionizing for Basic Health and Safety Protections, Witnesses Tell Committee
05.08.14 WASHINGTON-College athletes lack many basic health and safety protections, which has spurred them to band together to seek union representation and generate policy changes, members learned at a Committee on Education and the Workforce hearing today. The hearing explored the issues faced by today's college athletes, who are key figures in the multi-million-dollar collegiate sports business and find that the 40 to 50 hours a week that they must dedicate to numerous sports-related practices and te… Continue Reading
Miller Comments on New Rule to Help Prevent Black Lung Disease by Reducing Exposure to Coal Mine Dust
04.24.14 WASHINGTON-Today Congressman George Miller, senior Democrat on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, provided the following comment on new rules issued by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to control coal mine dust and reduce exposure, helping protect miners' health and lives through the prevention of black lung disease: "While black lung rates have dropped dramatically for miners who began mining after the passage of Coal Act in 1969, there has been a resurgence of coal … Continue Reading
Miller, Levin Urge Bangladeshi Government to Improve Working Conditions
04.22.14 WASHINGTON - Today, in anticipation of tomorrow’s one-year anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sandy Levin (D-MI) and Committee on Education and the Workforce Senior Democratic Member George Miller (D-CA) sent a letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urging improved conditions for the country’s workers. The letter outlines specific labor issues that have yet to be addressed by the Bangladeshi government as part of the Labor Act… Continue Reading
Mine Safety Legislation Declared Dead by Chairman Kline, Miller Outraged
04.09.14 WASHINGTON—Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.) effectively declared mine safety legislation dead for this session of Congress during today’s markup of labor-related legislation. “What we learned today is that the blood of the 29 miners who died at Upper Big Branch four years ago was shed in vain, and that congressional actions needed to prevent a similar disaster in the future will not be taken any time soon,” said Representative George Miller, senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Commi… Continue Reading
Committee Democrats Force Votes on Priority Legislation to Help Workers and Families, Republicans Reject Proposals
04.09.14 WASHINGTON-Committee Democrats today forced votes on multiple pieces of priority legislation to help workers and families during a committee markup of two union-busting Republican bills. As Committee Republicans focused on moving highly partisan bills with no hope of becoming law, senior committee Democrat Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) led efforts to pass legislation, including the Fair Minimum Wage Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and the Robert C. Byrd Min… Continue Reading
Miller-Courtney Letter Calls for Action on Mine Safety Legislation, Recognizes Fourth Anniversary of Upper Big Branch Disaster
04.04.14 WASHINGTON— The House Republican majority still has not considered legislation to improve mine safety and close glaring loopholes in our nation’s mine safety laws that could help save miners’ lives, even as we mark the fourth anniversary of the deadliest U.S. coal mine tragedy in the last 40 years. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, today sent a letter to committee Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.) requesting that the committee mark up… Continue Reading
Labor Dept. Protecting Americans’ Economic Security, But Congress Must Support Workers and Raise Minimum Wage, Committee Learns
03.26.14 WASHINGTON-While U.S. Department of Labor initiatives will help increase working families' income and put Americans back to work, Republicans in Congress continue to hold up legislative proposals to strengthen the economy, members learned at a hearing with Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez today. "The core principle [behind the Labor Department's budget] is as American as they come: the notion that if you work hard and play by the rules, you should have the opportunity to succeed," said Perez, wh… Continue Reading
House Dems Seek International Labor Accord on Gender-Based Violence at Work
03.12.14 WASHINGTON—In advance of this month’s International Labour Organization (ILO) Governing Board meeting, leading Democratic lawmakers today asked the Obama Administration to support the ILO’s efforts to combat gender-based violence in the workplace around the world and across industries. Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and 34 other Democratic Representatives sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Labor Tom Perez seeking their backing for a proposed … Continue Reading
Miller Fought to Protect Taxpayers, Workers' Lives from House Republican Efforts to Impose Unnecessary, Onerous New Requirements
02.27.14 WASHINGTON-Today House Republicans jammed misguided legislation through the House that would unnecessarily hamstring the federal government's efforts to protect taxpayers and preserve American lives. In response to the 60 onerous new requirements included in the All Economic Regulations Are Transparent Act (Alert) Act (H.R. 2804), Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) offered two amendments aimed at safeguarding taxpayers and students, protecting public and workplace safety and health, and otherwise inc… Continue Reading
American Retailers’ Garments “Made With Violence Against Women” in Bangladesh, Miller Says
02.11.14 WASHINGTON-Women working in Bangladesh's garment factories are caught in a web of exploitive social and economic structures, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) said today after meeting with a teenage garment worker who was trapped in the building collapse at Rana Plaza that killed more than 1,100 workers and injured 2,500 more. Following a meeting between Reba Sikder, the 19-year-old garment worker; Kalpona Akter, executive director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity; the International La… Continue Reading
OSHA Needs Better Tools to Protect American Workers from Job-Related Injuries and Illnesses, House Labor Subcommittee Learns
02.04.14 WASHINGTON—At a congressional hearing intended to attack the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for allegedly exceeding its authority, Members of Congress instead learned that legislative reforms are needed to give OSHA the tools and resources necessary to protect worker health and safety. “Our committee needs to focus on helping OSHA address the challenges of updating outmoded health standards, but instead, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are trying to use this h… Continue Reading
Bangladesh Factories See Little Oversight of Labor, Safety Conditions from U.S. Military Contractors, Say Committee Democratic Staff
12.23.13 WASHINGTON-Democratic staff of the House Education and the Workforce Committee today released a report which details how U.S. military provides little to no oversight of the labor and safety conditions in Bangaldeshi factories that produce garments for sale by military exchanges. Read the report by clicking here.… Continue Reading
Miller Meets with Colombian President to Discuss Labor Rights Abuses
12.03.13 WASHINGTON-Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, today joined fellow Democratic lawmakers in a meeting with Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to discuss labor and human rights abuses in Colombia. "The long-standing challenge of securing labor rights in Colombia continues to this day," Rep. Miller said after the meeting. "Together with Rep. McGovern, I traveled to Colombia last summer to examine the implementation of the Labor A… Continue Reading
Miller Seeks to Prevent Abuse of Workers During Qatar World Cup Preparations
12.02.13 WASHINGTON-Today Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior House Democratic lawmaker in charge of worker safety and labor rights issues, sent two letters pressing for details on the efforts being taken to ensure that the migrant workers currently building the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar are being adequately protected from abuse. A growing number of accounts of squalid living and working conditions for workers at Qatar's World Cup-related construction projects have emerged in … Continue Reading
Democratic Lawmakers Press for Stronger Workplace Safety Rules for Military Exchange Suppliers in Bangladesh
11.26.13 WASHINGTON-Democratic lawmakers last week urged support for a defense bill provision that would require U.S. military exchanges and commissaries to hold its clothing suppliers to stronger fire and worker safety standards in Bangladesh, in line with requirements recently adopted by the Marine Corps Trademark and Licensing Office for its licensing contracts. In a letter to the leaders of the House Committee on Armed Services, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education a… Continue Reading
Reps. Miller, Courtney ask Inspector General to Investigate Alleged Misconduct in Black Lung Benefits Program that Denied Sick Workers Benefits
11.07.13 WASHINGTON - Today, two members of Congress asked the Department of Labor's Inspector General to investigate claims surfaced in news reports from the Center for Public Integrity and ABC News that some doctors and attorneys working on behalf of the coal industry have engaged in misconduct that has resulted in coal miners being improperly denied health-related benefits and compensation under the federal Black Lung Benefits Program. "According to a year-long investigation of the Black Lung Benefit… Continue Reading
Miller and Levin: 6 Months after Rana Plaza Tragedy, Companies Need To Step Up & Compensate Victims
10.23.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.) and Sander Levin (D-Mich.) issued the following joint statement today marking the six-month anniversary of the Rana Plaza tragedy where more than 1,100 garment workers in Bangladesh died and 2,500 injured after the building housing several garment factories collapsed. The International Labor Rights Forum and the Clean Clothes Campaign also issued a report today highlighting significant problems in compensating the families of the victims and those… Continue Reading