{"id":4636,"date":"2019-02-08T16:24:01","date_gmt":"2019-02-08T21:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jordanbarab.com\/confinedspace\/?p=4636"},"modified":"2019-02-08T16:48:03","modified_gmt":"2019-02-08T21:48:03","slug":"protecting-americas-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jordanbarab.com\/confinedspace\/2019\/02\/08\/protecting-americas-workers\/","title":{"rendered":"Protecting America’s Workers Act Introduced. Would Strengthen OSHA and Workers’ Rights"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new and improved Protecting America’s Workers Act (PAWA) has been introduced into the House of Representatives by Congressman Joe Courtney (D-CT). Similar versions of this bill has been introduced every year for over a decade.\u00a0 The bill number is\u00a0H.R.1074 and a copy of it can soon be found here<\/a>. (In the meantime, here is a PDF<\/a>\u00a0and a Section-by-Section analysis<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

As with past PAWA bills, this version, which has 27 co-sponsors<\/a>, extends OSHA coverage to public sector employees in those states where they’re not currently covered (as well as federal employees), strengthens anti-retaliation protections for workers, requires the abatement of hazards during contests by employers and toughens criminal penalties.<\/p>\n

In addition, this year’s bill also includes provisions to codify OSHA’s severe injury and electronic injury reporting requirements (including the detailed reporting by large employers recently withdrawn<\/a> by OSHA). It reverses the revocation of the “Volks Rule<\/a>” which was repealed by Congress and the President under the Congressional Review Act at the beginning of the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

PAWA significantly expands workers’ rights to participate in improving health and safety in their workplaces, and enhances the ability of OSHA to effectively enforce safe working conditions.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The bill significantly expands workers’ rights to participate in improving health and safety in their workplaces, and enhances the ability of OSHA to effectively enforce safe working conditions.<\/p>\n

Courtney introduced the bill on the anniversary of the 2010\u00a0Kleen Energy<\/a> power plant explosion that killed 5 workers in Middletown, Connecticut.\u00a0 According to Courtney<\/a>,<\/p>\n

Today, on the ninth anniversary of the accident, it\u2019s appropriate that my colleagues and I reintroduce this legislation<\/span>\u00a0to\u00a0make critical,\u00a0decades-overdue updates to\u00a0OSHA.\u00a0Every day, 14 employees go to work and never come home to their families due to fatal on-the-job injuries.\u00a0The\u00a0<\/span>OSHAct<\/span>\u00a0made\u00a0great strides in protecting American workers, but since it was<\/span>\u00a0enacted\u00a0the American workplace has modernized and diversified. The law should keep up with the realities that workers face on the job today.\u00a0Our bill is focused on\u00a0updates and\u00a0compliance, not on petty, punitive measures against employers, and will\u00a0ensure that\u00a0today\u2019s workforce is empowered and protected by our nation\u2019s chief worker safety law.<\/span><\/p>\n

What’s In PAWA?<\/h2>\n

If passed, PAWA 2019 would:<\/p>\n