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Washington, D.C. -- Today Congressman David Wu continued his fight against Republican efforts to gut the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) and weaken worker safety. The Republican majority of the House Education and Workforce committee approved a package of bills that will cut disability payments to longshore workers and undermine workplace safety standards for all workers. The committee approved one bill that amends the Longshore Act and four bills that amend the laws governing OHSA, the agency responsible for workplace safety.
"This administration has launched a persistent attack on workplace safety," said Congressman David Wu. "This package of legislation will create an environment where OSHA's judgment is questioned and workers' safety and lives are jeopardized."
One of the five bills pushed through the committee today applies to longshore workers – including construction employees at marinas and workers who build recreational vessels. Despite the often-dangerous nature of this work, the bill pushed through today would reduce by 30 percent the amount of benefits paid to a worker in the event of disability or to the worker’s family in the event of death.
The other four bills would make it harder for OSHA to protect workers. Among other things, these bills would give employers more time before correcting a life-threatening problem in the workplace, thus prolonging workers’ exposure to grave risk. The bills would also discourage OSHA from taking employers to court over health and safety violations.
The five bills are H.R. 940, which amends the Longshore Act, and H.R. 739, 740, 741, and 742, which amend OSHA. Congressman Wu voted against all five pieces of legislation.
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