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Margaret Kelley at 718-773-3100

BROOKLYN, NY - “The five labor bills reported out of the Education and Workforce Committee on March 22, 2005 are dangerous for American workers and working families,” Owens said. “Together these bills undermine workplace safety and cut disability payments.”

The four bills to amend OSHA, H.R. 739, 740, 741, 742, will make it harder to protect the safety and health of workers. The fifth bill, H.R. 940, amends the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act, and actually reduces the amount of benefits paid by 30% to a worker in the event of disability or to the worker's family in the event of death.

"That is as clear a picture as you can get of the priorities of this Republican White House and Majority party in Congress," Owens stated. "They ignore the American public that favors safety on the job and cater to employers who place profits over worker health and safety.”

"The Republican bills will clearly undermine the enforcement of U.S. safety standards for workers and replace decent compensation, for injured workers and family survivors when workers are killed, with poverty-level benefits," Owens said.

Congressman Owens offered a solution to hold grossly negligent employers accountable: he will introduce the "Wrongful Death Accountability Act" which strengthens sanctions for worker deaths caused by employer's willful violations of basic safety standards; doubles the penalty for illicitly warning of an OSHA inspection; and, increases the number of death cases investigated. The Republican majority defeated the amendment.

"I will not give up. I will continue fighting for workers and their families. Working families deserve better than having their lives put unnecessarily at risk. The Republicans put their head in the sand as the gap widens between the haves and the have-nots." Owens said.

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