Worker Rights

WASHINGTON, DC -- Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chairwoman of the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Workforce Protections and Congressman Phil Hare (D-IL), a Subcommittee member and a leading advocate of workplace safety, today released the following statements in response to the settlement reached between the U.S. Department of Labor and Cintas Inc. regarding the company’s repeat workplace safety violations, including one which lead to the death of a worker in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“While I am thankful that OSHA has finally reached an agreement to force Cintas to fix hazards that have resulted in repeated safety violations, I am deeply disturbed that the settlement does not specifically hold Cintas responsible and does not go far enough to prevent future accidents,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey.  

WASHINGTON, DC -- Legislation that would help protect guest workers from fraud, abuse and exploitation at the hands of foreign labor recruiters and U.S. employers cleared Congress yesterday, as part of a larger bipartisan measure to combat human trafficking.

The provisions were championed by U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and U.S. Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and are expected to be signed by the President.

The House of Representatives gave final approval today for legislation to stop discrimination against individuals with disabilities by restoring the original intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act.   By a voice vote, the House passed the ADA Amendments Act (S. 3406) to reverse several U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have undermined the Americans with Disabilities Act. Since the ADA’s enactment nearly two decades ago, courts have dramatically reduced the numbers of workers who are protected from employment discrimination under the law. The bill now goes to President Bush for his signature.

Chairman George Miller sent a letter Friday to Colombia’s President Álvaro Uribe, asking his government to address concerns that Colombia has failed to adequately address the nearly 2,700 murders of labor union leaders in his country. President Uribe will meet with Miller and other members of Congress this week in Washington.

The House passed the Paycheck Fairness Act today, by a vote of 247-178.  This bill will help end the discriminatory practice of paying a woman less than a man for performing the same job by strengthening the landmark Equal Pay Act and closing the loopholes that have allowed some employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.

On Wednesday, July 30, the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the proposed merger of Delta and Northwest Airlines and the merger’s potential impact on workers of those airlines.

"The Proposed Delta/Northwest Airlines Merger: The Impact on Workers”
Wednesday, July 30, 2008, 10:30 a.m. EDT

The Committee passed the Paycheck Fairness Act today to help end the discriminatory practice of paying men and women unequally for performing the same job, by a 26 to 17 vote.  The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.  Although the wage gap between men and women has narrowed since the passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act in 1963, gender-based wage discrimination remains a significant problem for women in the U.S. workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. The Institute of Women’s Policy Research concluded that this wage disparity will cost a woman anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over her lifetime in lost wages.

On Thursday, July 24, the Committee will vote on legislation to help end the discriminatory practice of paying men and women differently for performing the same job.  The Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1338), introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility of discriminatory pay.  Although the wage gap between men and women has narrowed since the passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act in 1963, gender-based wage discrimination remains a problem for women in the U.S. workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. The Institute of Women’s Policy Research found that this wage disparity will cost women anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over a lifetime in lost wages.

Markup on "H.R. 1338, Paycheck Fairness Act"
Thursday, July 24, 2008, 1:00 p.m. EDT
 

The Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Immigration and Custom Enforcement workplace raids and the effects of the raids on local communities, including the impact on children, most of whom are American citizens. Witnesses explored how immigration enforcement could be improved in order to protect children.

The Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s lack of adequate enforcement and oversight of workplace safety and health conditions within large, multiple-facility corporations.

Witnesses explored events at the Cintas Corporation, the largest uniform supplier in North America. In 2007, a worker died at the company’s Tulsa facility despite previous evidence, known to both OSHA and Cintas, of similar hazards at other Cintas facilities and industrial laundries. The death resulted in the largest service sector fine in OSHA’s history and was followed by additional citations of similar problems at other Cintas facilities.