Pennsylvania Workers and Their Unions Call For Action on Worker Safety and Health

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, workers and their unions are asking for action in the General Assembly on House Bill 1082 and Senate Bill 464. More than 577,000 Pennsylvania public workers deserve the same health and safety protections on the job as private sector workers, but are excluded from the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA).

Harrisburg Regional Central Labor Council President David Gash said, "Why should public employees not have the same rights on the job as private sector workers?  Everyone deserves protection on the job, regardless of who their employer is.  We need the Legislature to take action now to protect all Pennsylvanians on the job."

"SEIU Local 668 members are dedicated public employees who care deeply about the services they provide to the community," said SEIU Local 668 President Steve Catanese. "No worker should have to worry about their personal safety due to a lack of basic legal protections at their workplace simply because it is not the private sector. We are calling on legislators to take action on HB 1082 this session and bring OSHA standards to our public workplaces." 

AFSCME Council 13 Executive Director David Fillman wrote of his support, "AFSCME represents people performing some of the most dangerous jobs in the commonwealth. In the last few years, we have lost multiple PennDOT workers and a Millersville University groundskeeper in accidents that OSHA protections possibly could have averted. It is well past the time to stop treating public sector workers like second class citizens."

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale and Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder stated, "Nearly every safety and health protection law on the books today, is there because working men and women joined together in unions and fought and demanded action from employers and government. Still, that progress has been painfully slow. Which is why we assemble across the Commonwealth to show our commitment to protecting workers on the job will not be complete until every worker can go to work and return home safe and healthy at the end of the day. We wholeheartedly support HB 1082 and SB 464 to extend workplace safety and health protections to our public sector brothers and sisters, because who your employer is should not impact your right to a safe workplace."

SOURCE Pennsylvania AFL-CIO

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