WHEREAS:
More than 50 years ago, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was empowered to protect American workers from occupational hazards. Although OSHA sets standards that require employers to provide a workplace “free from recognized hazards,” those standards do not cover the full range of hazards faced by workers today; and
WHEREAS:
The rates of workplace illnesses, injuries and deaths remain unacceptably high. In 2022, there were 5,486 occupational fatalities, with an average of 15 deaths per day, or one U.S. worker killed on the job every 96 minutes, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics; and
WHEREAS:
Public sector workers do not have the same protection from workplace hazards as their private sector counterparts unless their state has extended OSHA protections to them. To date, only 27 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have done so, after Massachusetts’ OSHA state plan was approved in 2022; and
WHEREAS:
The Protecting America’s Workers Act, House Resolution (H.R.) 2998, would expand OSHA coverage to public employees across the nation, but H.R. 2998 has not yet passed; and
WHEREAS:
2023 was the warmest year on record. Rising heat and humidity levels expose workers to dehydration, heat-related illness and death, and yet OSHA has not passed a heat standard. Exposure to high heat and humidity disproportionately impacts immigrants, people of color and those with pre-existing health conditions, raising serious issues of health equity for American workers; and
WHEREAS:
Workplace violence injuries and fatalities have risen in every occupational sector for five years, including sectors where our members work such as health care, social services and public safety. Workplace violence perpetuates a cycle that drives essential workers from their profession, exacerbating short staffing which in turn leads to more workplace violence.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will continue to fight for safer workplaces, and continue to make protecting the lives and health of its members a top priority; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That the national union will continue to provide affiliates with technical assistance, training, sample contract language and educational materials about workplace health and safety to address the hazards that members face each day; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will continue to urge Congress to pass legislation to expand OSHA workplace safety coverage for state and local government employees in the 23 states and the District of Columbia where they are not covered by state plans, and, in the interim, continue to advocate in state legislatures to implement coverage for those public employees who still lack basic OSHA protections. Further, AFSCME will advocate for adequate funding for enforcement and remediation in all states; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will continue to work alongside other labor organizations to participate in OSHA rulemaking, the promulgation of new OSHA standards and on special emphasis programs that focus on particular hazards such as heat illness and workplace violence; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will advocate for regulation of AI to mitigate its potential negative impacts on workers’ safety and health, including in health care; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:
That AFSCME will continue to advocate for robust policies and regulations to address occupational hazards which result from climate disruption events, including storms, extreme temperatures, flooding, wildfires, air quality degradation and smoke exposure, chemical spills and infrastructure damage to transportation, utilities, health care, drinking water and power distribution.
SUBMITTED BY:
Mark Bernard, Delegate
AFSCME Local 2511, Council 93
Massachusetts