4.3 DOL Strategic Goal 3 -- Quality Workplaces

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This strategic goal is aimed at guaranteeing every working American a safe and healthful workplace with equal opportunity for all. Also, the Department is committed to raising core international labor standards and improving the working conditions of children throughout the world.

Department of Labor programs and agencies that support this strategic goal include the Employment Standards Administration's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Employment and Training Administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, and support agencies, including the Bureau of International Labor Affairs, the Women's Bureau, the Office of the Solicitor, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management.

The Secretary of Labor's key priorities for this strategic goal are:

• International Labor Standards: The Department recognizes the opportunity to lift billions of people into a worldwide middle class and a decent standard of living in the new global economy. Raising global labor standards and improving worldwide enforcement of labor laws is vital to this effort. The Department proposes to support educational opportunities that not only encourage the removal of children from abusive and dangerous working environments, but provide them with real opportunities and real hope for a better future. The Department will also continue its commitment to assist countries to develop and administer labor standards and social safety net programs.
  
  
• Equal Pay: The Department's Equal Pay initiative will train women in nontraditional jobs in the high-tech industry and other skills shortage industries, as well as furnish educational materials in One-Stop Career Centers, develop service announcements on equal pay, and implement industry partnerships in an effort to reduce the significant pay gap between men and women in similar jobs. These new initiatives will complement already existing programs that provide legal guidelines and industry best practices to Federal contractors on equal pay issues.
  
  
• Workplace Safety: Consistent with the Department's commitment to ensuring safe and healthful workplaces, DOL proposes to enhance the comprehensive compliance assistance program to enable every OSHA office to provide direct outreach and training assistance to employers and employee groups, and to increase the number of training grants. Efforts to improve the safety and health programs of high-hazard employers and those with the worst safety and health programs will continue.

The FY 2001 outcome and performance goals for this strategic goal follow. Detailed information on every performance goal, including indicator, data source, baseline and explanatory comments, can be found in Appendix B

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Means and Strategies

Operating Agencies:OSHA, MSHA

Sustained Efforts in FY 2001:

• DOL will continue to conduct its mandated mine inspection program, together with investigations prompted by accidents, safety, and discrimination complaints, and identification of mine operators who demonstrate reckless disregard for safety or health standards. (3.1 A & B)
  
  
• DOL will continue to assist the mining industry and labor to improve safety and health conditions and practices, with an emphasis on: assisting mine operators to solve difficult safety problems; providing education, training and informational outreach programs; providing technical assistance; and approving and certifying mining equipment, materials, and explosives. MSHA will expand existing outreach efforts in the mining community to identify and to communicate with historically non-participating audiences where intervention could have a significant impact, specifically including new operators, new miners, non-participatory operators, and contractors.
  
  
• (3.1 A & B) DOL will continue to award grant funds to participating mining States, review existing mine regulations, develop and promulgate mine safety and health rules and regulations, and assess civil penalties for violations. (3.1 A & B)
  
  
• DOL will continue to develop cost-effective workplace standards based on common sense, and to maintain a strong OSHA enforcement presence as an appropriate response for employers who fail to meet their safety and health responsibilities. OSHA enforcement will continue to feature innovations that include site-specific programs, improved targeting, and an emphasis on results. (3.1 C-G)
  
  
• DOL will continue to utilize a variety of OSHA compliance assistance, outreach and cooperative approaches to contribute to reductions in injury and illness rates through increased voluntary compliance. Approaches include the Consultation and Voluntary Protection Programs, Susan Harwood Training Grants, local partnership agreements, and enhanced OSHA field compliance assistance. (3.1 C-G)
  
  
• DOL will continue to work with its state plan partners to support the implementation of individual state strategic and annual performance plans that target reductions in exposures and injuries, illnesses and fatalities. (3.1 C-D, F-G)
  
  

Significant New or Enhanced Efforts in FY 2001:

• Strengthen MSHA's metal and nonmetal safety, health, and training programs. Focus will be on meeting mandated inspection goals, conducting systematic inspection of contractors working on mine property, ensuring that all miners receive basic safety and health training, improving miners' health protection, and providing compliance assistance. (3.1 A, B)
  
  
• Increase the audits of accident, injury and illness reporting of mine operators. MSHA relies on this reported data to track, identify, and respond to mine safety and health problems. Accurate and reliable data must be available for MSHA to direct and use its resources effectively. Increased audits by MSHA will improve injury and illness reporting compliance, which in turn will lead to improving the Agency's ability to identify and target safety and health hazards. (3.1 A, B)
  
  
• Enhance education and training assistance to miners through an increase to State Grant funding to help reach miners affected under the new training regulation. (3.1 A, B)
  
  
• Improve mine emergency operations to include installing a wireless local area network on emergency response vehicles and upgrading the borehole television system and seismic location system, (3.1 A)
  
  
• Support coal mine fire and explosion response requirements. The rehabilitation/recovery of an underground coal mine after a mine fire or explosion poses serious hazards to all personnel involved. MSHA closely monitors this rehabilitation process and substantial costs are incurred for mine rescue teams and supplies, analytical equipment and operators, technical specialists, and overhead. (3.1B)
  
  
• Provide a chest x-ray screening program for underground and surface coal miners over a 5-year period. This will help monitor the effectiveness of the Agency's respirable dust-control measures in the battle against black lung disease. The prevalence of occupationally-related lung diseases among coal miners continues to be a devastating health problem. Concern over the existing program to combat black lung disease has led MSHA to focus more resources on its coal mine respirable dust program, and the Agency is implementing changes that affect every aspect of the Federal dust program. (3.1 B) DOL will develop a comprehensive approach to targeted interventions in workplace safety and health by ensuring that sufficient resources are directed to those industries and hazards identified as needing priority attention. OSHA's resources will be directed to the most significant workplace injuries and most hazardous industries and workplaces. (3.1 C-G)
  
  
• DOL will increase outreach, education and training efforts to populations and hazards that represent emerging safety and health needs in the 21st century. OSHA will utilize a variety of tools to reach small businesses and targeted audiences, including: on-site consultation, training grants, distance learning, and partnerships. (3.1 C-G)
  
  

Cross-Cutting Programs and Issues

OSHA, the Solicitor's Office, and MSHA work together to ensure consistency in regulatory actions that affect workers in both OSHA and MSHA jurisdictions, including areas such as respirator regulations, Permissible Exposure Limits for toxic chemicals, and record keeping requirements. They also support each other in other programmatic areas. MSHA, for example, provides expertise on evaluating laboratories under OSHA's certification program of National Recognized Testing Laboratories and gives technical support to OSHA in accident investigations, while OSHA performs asbestos analysis for MSHA. OSHA also works cooperatively with ESA and other DOL agencies to support their programs, including the targeting of worst offenders of labor laws (e.g., textile sweat shops) and improving working conditions for migrant farm workers.

MSHA and OSHA work closely with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which is responsible for conducting research on occupational safety and health issues. OSHA's Priority Planning Process, which identifies safety and health hazards that pose a serious risk to workers, is developed in coordination with NIOSH's National Occupational Research Agenda so that the government's research and regulatory efforts are mutually supportive. MSHA and NIOSH have developed working relationships in several areas, including respirator performance, explosives research, and medical research.

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Means & Strategies

Operating Agencies: ESA, WB, ETA

Sustained Efforts in FY 2001:

• DOL will continue implementing a tiered compliance evaluation strategy that increases the number of contacts with Federal contractors, and allows the flexibility to tailor reviews to focus on indicated possible problems without conducting a full investigation in every case. (3.2 A, C)
  
  
• DOL will fully implement an electronic Equal Employment Opportunity Survey. The use of this Survey advances electronic submission of compliance-related data by Federal contractors and electronic analysis of that data by OFCCP, thereby increasing OFCCP's compliance monitoring efficiency and effectiveness. (3.2A, C)
  
  
• DOL will continue technical assistance training sessions for organizations, employers, minority organizations, service organizations, disability rights organizations, and allied groups to disseminate publications, guidebooks, studies, and Internet communications on key issues. (3.2B)
  
  
• DOL will continue promotion of industry best practices in affirmative action and anti-discrimination programs by acknowledging employer efforts with the Exemplary Voluntary Efforts (EVE) Award, the Opportunity 2000 Award, the Exemplary Public Interest Contribution (EPIC) Award, and the Industry Group Award. (3.2B)
  
  
• DOL will promote voluntary compliance by conducting targeted reviews and expanding outreach and technical assistance activities. ETA will also conduct follow-up reviews for entities found in non-compliance to verify that compliance is achieved. DOL will expand outreach and technical assistance training sessions for organizations, employers, grantees, youth, veteran service organizations, disability rights organizations, and allied groups to disseminate publications, guidebooks and studies (in print and on the Internet). (3.2 D)
  

Significant New or Enhanced Efforts in FY 2001:

• Based on lessons learned in FY 2000, DOL will further refine its analysis of data received from the Equal Opportunity Survey to improve targeting of contractor establishments with possible compensation problems.
  
  
• (3.2A, C) DOL will develop and deliver training courses for ESA's compliance officers focusing on the assessment and evaluation of Federal contractors with respect to equal pay. (3.2A, C)
  
  
• DOL will publish a summary report on the results of its Corporate Management Reviews conducted from FY 1998 – FY 2000, including a summary of best practices gathered from these Fortune 1000 firms. (3.2A, B)
  
  
• DOL will improve its identification and dissemination of model employer recruitment practices on the Internet and will assist contractors in identifying resources for recruiting qualified individuals with disabilities, protected veterans, women, and minorities. Such resources may include, but not be limited to, America's Job Bank and the nationwide network of One-Stop Career Centers established by the Workforce Investment Act. (3.2B)
  
  
• DOL will increase outreach, education, and technical assistance to Federal contractors on equal pay issues by providing guidelines and industry best practices. (3.2A, B, C)
  
  
• DOL will implement an equal pay-industry partnership initiative designed as a collaborative effort between ESA's OFCCP and Federal contractors/contractor organizations. The results will be used to help determine the industries and geographic locations where OFCCP's technical assistance efforts are most needed. The results will also be used to develop "best practices" guidelines. (3.2A, B, C)
  
  
• DOL will provide interactive technical assistance through web technology, providing clear guidance on regulatory requirements relating to Vietnam Era Veterans, disability, gender, and race discrimination. (3.2B)
  
  
• DOL will continue outreach efforts such as corporate management reviews as well as technical assistance and educational brochures. Educational materials will be translated into different languages to keep the public informed regarding the EEO requirements of Federal contractors. (3.2A, B, C)
  
  
• DOL will enhance enforcement of applicable disability laws by conducting compliance reviews and providing technical assistance and training to stakeholders. Enforcement efforts will focus on fostering universal access and pay equity for persons with disabilities, women, and minorities participating in DOL financial assistance programs within the One-Stop delivery and Job Corps programs funded and authorized under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). (3.2D)
  

Cross-Cutting Programs and Issues

ESA/OFCCP is a key player on a team assembled by the Secretary to develop innovative, cooperative programs and policies to foster and implement the Administration and Secretary's Equal Pay initiative. The interagency team unites ESA/OFCCP with the Women's Bureau, ETA, MSHA, OSBP, PWBA, and other agencies in this effort. ESA/OFCCP has established a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) with the ESA/Wage and Hour Division to facilitate information exchange and effective enforcement of the Family and Medical Leave Act. An MOU with the DOL Veterans' Employment and Training Service provides for coordinated public outreach efforts and information sharing regarding covered veterans.

Outside the Department, ESA/OFCCP's MOU with the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office of Special Counsel provides for referral of complaints involving national origin discrimination, information sharing, and coordinated public outreach efforts. An MOU with DOJ's Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) allows for prompt referral to INS of all suspected violations concerning employment of unauthorized workers. ESA/OFCCP's MOU with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) provides procedures for the coordinated collection, sharing, and analysis of data regarding individual or class complaints of discrimination on the basis of race, gender, national origin, or disability status. ESA coordinated and finalized another MOU with EEOC. Other MOUs were initiated with the Department of Transportation and the General Services Administration. ESA/OFCCP participated in meetings convened by the White House and the Civil Rights Working Group to discuss implementation of OMB guidance on how race and ethnicity data are to be submitted for the 2000 Census. ESA/OFCCP has been tracking this issue and examining the impact on its enforcement efforts.

Similar to OFCCP, the Civil Rights Center works closely with DOL agencies, other federal agencies such as Justice, EEOC, HHS, and the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to ensure equal opportunity compliance. In addition, the Civil Rights Center has membership on the Council of Federal Sector EEO and Civil Rights Directors as well as ongoing relationships with the Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agencies, and the National Association of Cities and Counties, the Interstate Association of Personnel in Employment Security to enhance its enforcement and civil rights compliance efforts.

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Means and Strategies

Operating Agencies: ETA, WB

• Sustained Efforts in FY 2001: DOL will increase the availability and use of child care by: (1) facilitating the development of States' consortia of representatives from the child care industry, government entities and community based organizations, (2) providing consultative and technical assistance in the development, maintenance, and expansion of Statewide systems for child care, including the exchange of the most current information, and, (3) maintaining, improving, and sustaining collaborative relationships, including cross-cutting linkages. (3.3A)
  
  
• DOL will improve the planning and management of the Registered Apprenticeship System by: (1) arranging for stakeholder service input, (2) assisting the reconstituted Federal Committee on Registered Apprenticeship in the accomplishment of their mission, and, (3) improving the capacity to gather and analyze accurate, consistent, timely and high-quality information in support of child care registered apprenticeship programs. (3.3A)
  
  
• DOL will continue to research and promote best practices in the workplace to increase public awareness of issues around balancing work and family needs by expanding its Internet web site, preparing resource kits, and conducting regional forums and conferences. (3.3 B)
  
  
• DOL will establish a network referred to as the Work and Family Exchange to serve as a vehicle for helping employers learn how to make their workplaces family-friendly. The Exchange will bring together employers who (1) have recently implemented family-friendly options and need minimal technical assistance to help them succeed, and (2) seek to voluntarily mentor other employers on how to make their workplaces family-friendly. The Exchange will also serve as an outreach vehicle to employers for educating employees using available literature on work and family issues and approaches to supporting their employees' work and family needs. Such information will also be accessible on the Internet. (3.3.B)
  

Cross-Cutting Programs and Issues

In developing policies and programs that affect working women and their families, the Women's Bureau provides leadership and assistance to other agencies within the Department and to other federal agencies, such as SBA, DOT and HHS, and to private sector entities, various non-governmental organizations, and state and local governments. An example of these cooperative efforts includes the partnerships with the Bureau of Apprenticeship and Training and child care stakeholders, such as HHS's Administration for Children and Families and USDA's Office of Community Development, to plan regional activities promoting the provision of child care by businesses. The Bureau is also a member of the Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics which, in response to a Presidential Executive Order, will develop an annual compendium of the most important indicators of the well-being of the Nation's families. The Women's Bureau is also working with SBA, the Department of Commerce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and private employer entities to reach out to businesses in order to promote a family friendly work environment.

DOL will continue to work with HHS on Head Start and child care issues; with USDA and HUD to promote the Step Up program; with Job Corps coordinators on efforts to establish child care facilities at Job Corps Centers; with the Women's Bureau to tap its child care expertise; and with SBA to encourage program graduates to become independent providers of child care.

To increase the number of states with child care apprenticeship programs, DOL will lead efforts that coordinate closely with the National Association of State and Territorial Apprenticeship Directors. DOL, through its interagency leadership in School-to-Work and Welfare-to-Work programs, will continue to provide opportunities for child care experience and training. DOL also will coordinate with state education and health and human service agencies in states that have adopted child care apprenticeship programs.

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Means and Strategies

Operating Agencies: ILAB

Sustained Efforts in FY 2001:

• Through IPEC, DOL will continue to provide support for innovative projects, including large programs within a clearly defined time frame (e.g. 5 to 10 years); statistical development and monitoring of child labor trends; responding to requests from countries with demonstrated commitment; and advocating and enhancing the worldwide movement against abusive child labor. Activities will reinforce the ILO's campaign to prioritize action against the worst forms of child exploitation. (3.4 A)
  
  
• DOL will continue to conduct research and publish reports dealing with child labor exploitation and techniques to reduce its incidence around the world to educate the public and policy makers. (3.4 A) DOL will work with countries that recognize the child labor issue to develop programs that can help reduce its incidence around the world and to educate the public and policy makers. (3.4 B)
  
  
• Support increased supervision and implementation of core labor standards by the International Labor Organization, including implementation by the ILO of a convention on the Worst Forms of Child labor and declaration and follow up mechanism to enhance the ability of the ILO to encourage member states to implement the core labor standards which are inherent in ILO membership. (3.4 A & B)
  
  
• Significant New or Enhanced Efforts in FY 2001: DOL will focus U.S. supported projects on the most intolerable forms of child labor, which will require the ILO to commit additional staff and administrative support to effectively administer the program and to challenge other countries and the private sector to match DOL's contributions. (3.4 A & B)
  
  
• DOL support will allow IPEC to add approximately 10 new countries to their program. To better measure progress in reducing child labor exploitation, DOL will fund IPEC's new Statistical Information and Monitoring Program on Child Labor. IPEC will collect comprehensive and reliable quantitative and qualitative statistical data on child labor in approximately 40 countries, as well as establish the first-ever international data bank on child labor information. This will allow the ILO and IPEC countries to measure progress made in program implementation--with the ultimate goal of eliminating exploitative child labor. (3.4 A & B)
  
  
• DOL funds will also be used to expand IPEC's ability to create and implement independent monitoring systems based upon successful models in Bangladesh and Pakistan; develop and implement a series of projects on child labor in Africa; develop additional direct action projects in various South Asian countries aimed at removing children from hazardous work, including forced child prostitution, and placing them in schools; and expand IPEC's capacity to develop action programs against child labor through education and training. Funds will also be used to establish a training course for persons wishing to serve as independent child labor monitors; the training course will rely on experience gained through existing IPEC monitoring projects funded by DOL. (3.4 A & B)
  
  

Cross-Cutting Programs and Issues

DOL works closely with the Department of State, as well as USAID, the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Departments of Commerce, Treasury, and Education, to encourage countries to improve the implementation of core labor standards.

The Department intends to take an integrated approach to advancing the international commitment to core labor standards, including child labor standards, with activities and resources coordinated by ILAB and supported by the regulatory agencies, BLS, Women's Bureau, and SOL. By providing labor standards assistance to our trading partners and thereby "leveling up" global working conditions, DOL will not only support achievement of its international goals, but will promote its goals of providing a secure workforce and quality workplace in this country.

On child labor issues, DOL works closely with the ILO's International Program for the Elimination of Child Labor (IPEC) to develop regional, country, and sector specific projects to reduce the incidence of abusive child labor and develop educational opportunities for children. In the development of certain projects, SOL works with U.S. and foreign industry representatives and non-governmental organizations to ensure that programs are effective and credible.