Action Needed to Defend Major Victory on Ergonomics

On September 3, 1998, we won a major victory on ergonomics. The Senate Appropriations Committee rejected an amendment by Senator Judd Gregg(R-N.H.) to require another National Academy of Sciences review of the scientific evidence on ergonomics. The amendment was defeated on a tie vote. Two Republicans, Senator Spector (R-Pa.) and Senator Campbell (R-Co) sided with the unions and voted against the study. One Democrat, Senator Hollings(D-S.C.), voted wrong and supported the study. Conservative Republicans did not offer an amendment to continue to prohibit OSHA from issuing a proposed or final ergonomics standard.

Senator Spector, the chair of the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee led the fight against the ergonomics rider, pointing out that the NAS and NIOSH had already conducted in depth reviews of the scientific evidence on ergonomics. He also crafted a bill that significantly increased funding for OSHA, MSHA and NIOSH.

But the fight on ergonomics is not over. If the Labor-Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill is brought to the Senate floor for a vote, we expect conservative Republicans to try again to require another NAS study on ergonomics and possibly to prohibit OSHA from issuing a proposed or final rule. Moreover, the House bill includes a requirement for the NAS ergonomics study, and even if there is no Senate or Floor vote on the Labor-HHS Appropriations bill, there will be a major fight on ergonomics in the process of reaching an agreement between the House, Senate and Administration on a final funding measure for FY 1999.

We need to keep up the pressure and tell elected representatives that it's time to protect workers from ergonomic hazards. Senators should be urged to vote against any amendment to the Labor/HHS bill to require another scientific study on ergonomics or to block an ergonomics standard. Representatives should be urged to vote no on passage of the House version of the Labor-HHS bill which not only contains the requirement for another NAS ergonomics study, but cuts the OSHA enforcement budget by $6 million.

There are only a few weeks left in this Congressional session. Thus far, we've successfully turned back all the attacks on job safety protections. Please contact your Representatives and Senators today and tell them to protect workers safety and health and to vote NO on any measures to block or delay an ergonomics standard, and any measures to cut the job safety budget.

For more information or talking points on the ergonomics issue, contact the AFL-CIO Department of Safety and Health (202-637-5366) or Department of Legislation (202-637-5084).