Tag Archives: Occupational safety and health

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For science (and NOT the election)


Union of Concerned Scientists

Congress: Keep Independent Federal Agencies Independent

After the election, the Senate will likely take up misguided legislation that would give the White House more control over certain federal agencies that protect our health and safety—such as the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The bill would make it more difficult for these agencies to use the latest science to protect the public from emerging threats—and make it easier for the White House to interfere in the work of these critical independent agencies. As a result, special interests with deep pockets would have even more influence in Washington.

Don’t let the lame duck Congress pass this terrible legislation.

Urge your senators today to strongly oppose the so-called Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act.

Take Action Today!

Sincerely,
MichaelHalpern_jpg
Michael Halpern
National Field Organizer
Center for Science and Democracy
Union of Concerned Scientists

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No Justice , No Pizza


TELL COSTCO: SUPPORT PALERMO’S PIZZA WORKERS

Laura Torres, a single mother of six, has worked at the Palermo’s Pizza plant in Milwaukee for 10 years. After safety issues led to thousands of dollars in fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, she and her co-workers began organizing to form a union to secure safe working conditions.[1]

Palermo’s executives could have taken the high road and sat down with Laura and other workers to hear their concerns. Instead, they chose to start an intimidation campaign that has forced the National Labor Relations Board to investigate claims of unlawful threats and firings.[2]

Laura and her co-workers have been on strike for two months now, but with every passing day management is digging in its heels. Workers, though, are not giving up and are joining together with working families across the country to take the next step in the campaign for justice at Palermo’s. And you can help.

As the largest purchaser of Palermo’s products, Costco can put pressure on Palermo’s to stand with workers. Thousands already have sent letters to Costco and held events outside Costco stores in multiple cities asking the company to support Palermo’s workers.

Click here to stand with pizza workers and let Costco know they should, too.

Costco has built a reputation on its commitment to a strong Supplier Code of Conduct. A major part of this code sets forth a “continuing commitment to the protection and improvement of employees’ rights” and allows Costco to audit its suppliers, like Palermo’s, to make sure they are in compliance with the code.

By asking Costco to take a stand and letting Palermo’s know Costco won’t tolerate the company’s lack of workplace safety and unfair treatment of workers, we can put pressure on Palermo’s to finally do the right thing for their workers and customers.

Tell Costco to put pressure on Palermo’s to end its intimidation campaign, improve conditions and let workers have a voice on the job.

Thank you for your support of Palermo’s Pizza workers in their struggle for dignity and justice on the job.

In Solidarity,

Andy Richards
Digital Strategies, AFL-CIO

P.S. Workers have been on strike for two months and have relied on the generous support of donations to the strike fund to keep them going. But the strike fund is dangerously low. Can you make a donation of $5 to support the workers’ strike fund?

[1] www.theuptake.org/2012/06/10/records-show-palermos-strikers-safety-concerns-are-real/
[2] www.milwaukeelabor.org/in_the_news/article.cfm?n_id=00276

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Now is the time: Help UCS lock in protection​s for science


The Union of Concerned Scientists has documented dozens of cases of corporations and politicians preventing government scientists from doing their jobs. This interference and manipulation of science has led to flawed policy decisions that put the public’s health and safety at risk.

www.ucsusa.org

Please help UCS lock in much-needed government reforms that will ensure independent science informs key decisions about our health, safety, air, and water.

www.ucsusa.org

You can help UCS stop special interests from spinning science at the expense of the American people by becoming a member today.

UCS blew the whistle on these widespread attacks on science during the Bush administration. Now, the administration has changed, but the system that allows politics to undermine science largely has not.

Fortunately, government agencies are working right now to develop forceful new policies that can protect scientists from political pressure. UCS is the only organization watchdogging the process and ensuring agencies follow through on their scientific integrity commitments. We’re meeting with agency officials and providing them with resources to ensure policies:

•Protect scientists who report political interference in agency work;

•Prevent conflicts of interest on science advisory committees;

•Allow scientists to share their research and scientific analysis with the public and the press; and

•Increase transparency so the public knows what science agencies consider when making policy decisions.

Please help UCS hold the administration and its agencies accountable for locking in much-needed reforms that will outlast their time in office, keep politics in its place, and allow government scientists to do their jobs. Become a member today.

www.ucsusa.org

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch

President

P.S. When you join UCS, you join more than 79,000 UCS members who also believe that decisions about our health, safety, air, and water should fully consider the best available science. Please join us today and help us keep politics out of science.

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Become a member today – UCS …The Union of Concerned Scientists


For years, corporations and politicians have put the public’s health and safety at risk by manipulating government science and censoring scientists in an effort to look after their own best interests.

“The specific suggestions [UCS] has offered have been critical to the overall goal of strengthening science and protecting its integrity, including the use of science by federal agencies”

—Dr. Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Please help UCS lock in much-needed government reforms that will ensure independent science informs key decisions about our health, safety, air, and water.

 The Union of Concerned Scientists blew the whistle on these widespread attacks on science during the Bush administration. Now, we’re pressing the Obama administration to ensure they follow through on their stated commitment to restore scientific integrity to government decision making.

As I write this, government agencies responsible for everything from protecting our food and drugs to our air and water are developing groundbreaking new policies to protect their scientists from political pressure by special interests. But will those policies be strong—or full of loopholes?

We need your help to ensure these agencies adopt policies that truly protect science and scientists. Please become a member of UCS today.

UCS is the only organization watchdogging the entire administration to ensure it follows through on their scientific integrity commitments. And we’re providing agencies with resources to help government scientists do their best work and avoid the abuses of science we’ve documented in the past.

But we can’t do it without you. Please become a member of UCS by making a donation today.

If we have your help we can work with agencies to ensure that independent science informs key decisions about the safety of our food and medicines, the levels of toxic chemicals in our children’s toys, the quality of our air and water, and much more.

Please help UCS lock in much-needed reforms that will keep politics in its rightful and proper place and allow government scientists to do their jobs. Become a member today.

Sincerely,

Kevin Knobloch

President

P.S. When you join UCS, you join more than 79,000 UCS members who also believe that decisions about our health, safety, air, and water should fully consider the best available science. Please join us today and help us keep politics out of science.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Bin Laden Justice a Testament to our Troops and Veterans


To get the complete articles go to: www.murray.senate.gov

Applauding our Service members and Veterans for Bringing Osama bin Laden to Justice

This week, I spoke on the floor of the Senate to applaud the most significant victory to date in our war on terrorism and to pay tribute to our service members, veterans, and intelligence operatives who worked so diligently to ensure that Osama bin Laden was brought to justice.

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Getting Critical Benefits for Family Caregivers of Veterans

Thisweek, I was very pleased to see that the White House and the Department of Veterans Affairs listened to my concerns and reversed their decision to restrict financial and health care support to familymembers caring for severely wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The change will allow more caregivers of more veterans to be eligible for the long-overdue benefit. I felt sostrongly about this issue that I personally brought it up with President Obama in the Oval Office. I’m pleased the he showed real leadership and worked to ensure the VA made this right.Going forward, I will monitor how the VA implements this program, looking closely at how caregivers of veterans with the invisible wounds of war are considered for this benefit.

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Training our Workforce

Last week, I toured the Pacific Fisherman Shipyard in Seattle with local workersand business owners to discuss legislation that would make sure workers have the skills and training they need to fill local jobs. According to a recent report released by the Washington StateEmployment Security Department, statewide job openings were up 31% last fall compared to a year earlier. This is great news; however, often employers can’t find local workers with theskills needed to fill those jobs. That’s why I’m working to pass my CareerPathways legislation which would help young people leaving high school get the skills and training they need to enter the workforce. I’m also working to reform and reauthorize the WorkforceInvestment Act which offers critical retraining to workers, including those who have recently been laid off

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Ensuring Workplace Safety

Last week, I honored Workers Memorial Day and the 40 thanniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the effective date of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. In the past 40 years, we have made greatprogress in reducing workplace tragedies, but we still have a long way to go. Every worker, in every industry, deserves to be confident that while they are working hard and doing their jobs, theiremployers are doing everything they can to protect them. That’s why I joined so many others last week in recommitting to our efforts to make sure that workplaces are safe in everyindustry across America.

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Urging President Obama to Fill Vacancies on Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, DecreaseWaiting Time for Veterans Seeking Answers on their Benefits

This week, I sent a letter to President Obama urging him to quickly fill threevacant judicial positions on the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. This court has the huge responsibility of reviewing rejected disability and health care benefit claims for veterans, anincreasingly large burden with a claims backlog that has doubled in recent years. Without the quick nomination of judges to fill these seats, veterans will continue waiting far too longto get answers on their benefits. Once President Obama announces his nominees, I will work with my colleagues to move them quickly through the Senate confirmation process.