Deluzio, Fitzpatrick Introduce Bipartisan Public Service Worker Protection Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17) and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) introduced the bipartisan Public Service Worker Protection Act, a bill that expands the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to include public sector workers under its defined protections. The goal of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) is to "assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women." The 1970 legislation created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at the federal level and provided that states could run their own safety and health programs as long as those programs were at least as effective as the federal program. Federal and state safety personnel work to ensure worker safety and health through work site enforcement, education, and compliance assistance.
While the OSH Act protects some public sector workers working under federal authority, federal OSHA law does not necessarily cover workers at state and local government agencies. Instead, public sector workers in these states are protected by the OSH Act only if their state has an OSHA-approved program—leaving a gap of public sector workers whose workplaces are subject to fewer safety standards and are given less protections. As of today, around two dozen states and territories have OSHA-approved programs that cover both private sector and public sector workers. Some states and territories may also have plans that only cover public sector workers.
“No matter where they live, American workers in every sector should have the strong safety standards and protections of OSHA in their workplace,” said Congressman Deluzio. “Today, Congressman Fitzpatrick and I are introducing the bipartisan Public Service Worker Protection Act to help bridge this gap in coverage and help protect the public servants who power our state and local governments, teach our kids, and keep all of us safe. Let’s protect America’s public sector workers and get this done.”
“Our dedicated public sector workers throughout our country deserve to be safe at work and the robust level of protection that OSHA coverage provides,” said Congressman Fitzpatrick. “Our bipartisan Public Service Worker Protection Act will ensure all public sector workers, regardless of their state, are covered under the same federal safety standards. Congressman Deluzio and I are committed to protecting hardworking public servants throughout our nation’s communities, and I implore my colleagues to join us in this vital effort to safeguard workers."
“Every worker, regardless of what they do or whom they work for, deserves to be safe and healthy on the job,” said American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) President Lee Saunders. “Yet, 23 states actively exclude public service workers from Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) coverage, leaving nearly eight million front-line professionals in public safety, health care, sanitation, education and more exposed to dangerous working conditions. Public sector workers reported an injury rate 81% higher than their counterparts in the private sector. This disparity is an insult to those who have devoted their careers to helping others, and it compromises the public services we all depend on. The Public Service Worker Protection Act would finally extend OSHA safeguards to public service employees nationwide. As we work to fill critical public service jobs, this bill would allow those who are just starting these essential careers to be safe and secure on the job.
AFSCME President Saunders continued, “On behalf of the 1.4 million public service workers of AFSCME, we thank Rep. Chris Deluzio for his leadership on the Public Service Worker Protection Act, and we urge Congress to pass this life-saving legislation.”
“More than 50 years after the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 8 million state and local public sector workers still lack OSHA coverage,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “Under current law, lifesaving Federal OSHA standards will never reach them and will leave them unprotected from hazardous working conditions. Extending coverage to these workers is absolutely necessary to ensure that safe workplaces are accessible to everyone.”
"CWA is proud to endorse the Public Service Worker Protection Act, guaranteeing OSHA coverage to the public sector workers who make our cities and states run,” said Dan Mauer, Director of Government Affairs, Communications Workers of America (CWA). “Public service workers fought on the front lines of the pandemic to protect communities, often putting the needs of their communities ahead of their own and they continue doing so to this day. Waiting on for states to move forward with their own health and safety plans is unacceptable—we owe it to these workers to provide them with federal coverage now! We applaud Reps. Deluzio and Fitzpatrick for leading on this issue and we urge swift passage of this critical bill!"
“The fight for workplace safety is foundational to why the labor movement exists and core to the AFT,” said Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). “No worker should fear for their safety on the job. We are proud to stand with Congressman Deluzio as he introduces the Public Service Worker Protection Act. Far too many public employees are not covered by a state OSHA plan. This legislation would change that and be a meaningful step towards safer workplaces. Congress should take it up without delay.”
Along with the quoted organizations, the bill is also supported by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) and the National Education Association (NEA).
The full text of the bill is available here.
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