PUBLIC EMPLOYEE OSHA COVERAGE

WHEREAS, the AFT represents members throughout the public sector in school districts and state local and municipal government, who, as a result of that employment, face a wide variety of occupational safety and health hazards; and

WHEREAS, the National Safety Council reports that working for the government is twice as dangerous as construction and three times more dangerous than for the private sector as a whole; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics Workplace Violence Survey 1992-1996 reports that government employees represent 37 percent of the victims of workplace violence and assault while they make up only 16 percent of the U.S. workforce; and

WHEREAS, AFT members in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin are denied full and comprehensive coverage under a federally approved state OSHA plan; and

WHEREAS, AFT members in federally approved state plan states are often inadequately protected; and

WHEREAS, although it has been 30 years since the enactment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the nation has failed to bring mandatory coverage for public employees; and

WHEREAS, voluntary enactment of a comparable standard by states has not provided an appropriate level of worker protection in approximately one half of the states; and

WHEREAS, the General Duty Clause of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (Public Law 91-596, Section 5 (a)(1), state, "Each employer shall furnish each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees"; and

WHEREAS, the desired action stated in the General Duty Clause has not come into universal being for all workers in the public section:

RESOLVED, that the AFT urge Congress to enact the Fairness for State and Local Worker Act, H.R. 776, to amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to provide for coverage under the Act of employees of states and political subdivisions of states and comparable acts in the U.S. Senate so the OSHA protection is guaranteed to all public employees; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT reaffirm its belief that public employees can no longer be treated as second-class citizens regarding health and safety protection.