Public Employees: Thoughts and Prayers Aren’t Enough

Eric Weems, 52, a lineman working for the city of Griffin, Georgia, was killed on Nov. 13, and another worker, Trent Granger, was seriously injured.  Weems’ funeral was held yesterday and some city services and departments closed for the day in his honor. He had worked for the city for 17 years and even appeared in a video discussing his life as a lineman, explaining that one of his favorite parts about the job was getting the power back on for families with children during the winter when their homes are cold.

Weems’ death is a tragedy. But there is an even deeper tragedy at play here.

Weems seemed like a great guy:

A group of those closest to Eric Weems gathered around a bonfire on a chilly night to reflect on his life. “He was just a big goofy guy. He was our guy,” said his cousin, Monitque Taylor. “He’s ran marathons all over the U.S. He’s went and did some of the toughest terrains.”

“There would be times I would be driving, be at a stop sign. I hear my name being called and I look around and I can’t find anybody, but it’s him up on the pole,” said Otrice Gibson, Eric’s cousin.

He leaves behind two children and three grandchildren. City employees set up a GoFundMe for his children and grandchildren here.

Even Georgia Governor Brian Kemp chimed in on X:

“As our state and local communities rebuild from devastating storms, it is because of the dangerous work done by our linemen that we are able to be on the road to recovery,” Kemp wrote.

“Marty, the girls and I are deeply saddened by this tragic news and ask all Georgians to keep the Griffin linemen, their families, and their loved ones in your thoughts and prayers in these difficult times.”

What Happened? Will We Ever Know?

At this point, we don’t really know what happened except that they were apparently working on some kind of power project that involved equipment failure.

And we may never know what really happened. Which is why I’m writing this.

We don’t really know what happened except that they were apparently working on some kind of power project that involved equipment failure. And we may never know what really happened.

Eric Weems was a public employee in the state of Georgia. And for those of new to my rants and raves, Georgia is one of the 23 states in this country where almost 8 million public employees like Eric Weems are not covered by OSHA. That means that they have no legal right to a safe workplace. It means there will be no OSHA inspection into why he was killed. If the cause was some kind of negligence by the City of Griffin, there will be no citation. There will be no penalties. And worst of all, there will be no lessons learned. Just an unavoidable “accident.”  Such is life.

Weems’ family also wants to know what happened,

Howard Weems [Eric’s brother] says his family is devastated. They want to know how this happened. “I think we can grieve more once we know what happened. How it happened,” Howard Weems said. “He was always in this truck,” Weems’ daughter told Jones outside city hall where his truck is adorned with flowers, balloons, and his work helmet and belt. “Basically more than his own car.” Weems’ daughter says she appreciates the outpouring of support for her father. But she says she too wants to know what happened.  I’m looking for answers. I want to know,” she said.  The family has hired an attorney to look into what happened.

The city will supposedly conduct an investigation into the “equipment failure” that led to Weems’ death and Grangers’ injury.  But will there really be any independent investigation? Maybe failure to comply with OSHA standards, equipment maintenance issues, inadequate procedures, or lack of training? Were there deeper root cause like short staffing,  tight deadlines or budget cuts?

I’d say the likelihood of an honest, independent investigation is pretty low.  Why am I so skeptical? History.

Identifying any of the causes I mentioned above  could raise uncomfortable questions that would piss off a lot of people.

As I wrote before (several times):

Last year Tony Rice was crushed to death in a trench collapse in Eutaw, Alabama. The city promised a full investigation, but no investigation results are to be found.

Even when there is an investigation, we may or may not ever see the results. Avid Confined Space readers may recall, after Huntsville, Alabama, employee Bobby Green was crushed to death in a 20 foot trench in 2021, the city hired an outside consultant to conduct an investigation. But no more was heard of the investigation until television station WAFF repeatedly request a copy. Finally, Huntsville Director of Communications Kelly Schrimsher revealed that:

…the city hired an outside consultant to investigate. In an email last week, Schrimisher said “the city did have safety equipment in place and there is nothing more to report.” She also said work resumed at the site several months ago. She didn’t elaborate on what specific safety equipment was in place, nor did she tell us who the outside consultant was, or what the city paid them. She also did not explain what the consultant found, which was likely paid for by tax dollars.

And even when we see the investigation, it may not get to the actual root cause — it’s easier just to blame the worker.  I’ll never forget the case of  the case of Shawn Patilla a Denver Water public employee who was killed in 2006 after a valve ruptured in the high-pressure water main he was working on. He died from head and neck injuries as a result of being hit by the water at a pressure of 90 pounds per square inch. Denver Water conducted an “independent” investigation and even released the results.

And deaths of pubic employee like Weems are not rare, “freak” occurrences. In fact, just last August, William “Will” Ray Wilson, a Fulton County, Georgia, Department of Public Works employee was killed when he was struck by a work vehicle when on a job.   Fulton Country officials were “deeply saddened.” But an investigation? Not that I can find.

Why Are Public Employees Second Class Citizens?

When the Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed in 1970, public employees were exempted from coverage, with two exceptions.  Those states that established OSHA state plans were required by the law to cover their public employees.  And states were also given the option to set up “Public Employee-Only” plans that covered only public employees, while the feds covered the private sector in those states. Federal OSHA funds up to 50% of those plans.

There are 21 states that have full state plans, and six states (Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Illinois.)

So no, Governor Kemp, thoughts and prayers don’t quite cut it. If you really think that public employees like Eric Weems are are heroes, then shouldn’t they have the right to a safe workplace as private sector employees, the right to come home alive and healthy at the end of the day.

That leaves 23 states* — including Georgia — where public employees are treated like second class citizens without the right to come home alive and healthy at the end of the workday.

One might think that some reporters would include the lack of OSHA coverage in their stories. But not one of the twenty articles I read about Weems’ death mentioned that crucial fact. (I will be contacting them.)

Thoughts and Prayers

So no, Governor Kemp, thoughts and prayers don’t quite cut it. If you really think that public employees like Eric Weems are are heroes, doing dangerous work to help the citizens of Georgia recover from devastating storms, then shouldn’t they have the right to a safe workplace as private sector employees: the right to come home alive and healthy at the end of the day?

There is almost never a workplace fatality that is the result of a “freak accident” or “just one of those things.” There are almost always preventable causes. That’s why we have the Occupational Safety and Health Act. That’s why we have safety and health standards that (most) employers are required to comply with. That’s why OSHA has enforcement authority to cite employers who are not in compliance with the law and endanger or kill workers. That’s why workers (who are covered by OSHA) have the right to file an OSHA complaint when they see unsafe working conditions.

Governor Kemp, you have the ability to do something about this tragedy, to ensure that the deaths of Eric Weems and Will Wilson are not in vain.  Go to the Legislature and demand that they introduce and pass the Weems-Wilson Public Employee Safety and Health Act that will establish a public-employee state OSHA plan in the state of Georgia. Be a leader. Show the public employees of Georgia that you believe they really are heroes — heroes who have a right to a safe workplace.

Until then, spare us the thoughts and prayers.

*States where public employees can still be legally killed by workplace hazards that would be illegal if they were private sector employees are: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,  South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.