“Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect”
New AFL-CIO report details 2011 workplace fatality figures www.aflcio.org/death-on-the-job

(Richmond, VA) – According to a new AFL-CIO report, Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, 127 workers were killed in Virginia in 2011 with a rate of 3.4 deaths per 100,000 workers.  Nationally, Virginia ranks 21st with 1 being the best and 50 being the worst. Due to lack of staffing it would take the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 65 years to inspect each workplace in Virginia once.

The report notes that in 2011, there were 4,693 workplace deaths due to traumatic injuries and more than 3.8 million workers across all industries, including state and local government, who experienced work-related illnesses and injuries. As a comparison point, in 2010, 4,690 people died on the job.  For the past three years, after years of steady decline the job fatality rate has essentially been unchanged, with a rate of 3.5/100,000 workers in 2011. Similarly, for the past two years there has been no change in the reported workplace injury and illness rate (3.5 per 100 workers), indicating that greater efforts are needed to reduce job injuries and deaths.

The AFL-CIO report features profiles of workers’ safety and health in each state and includes national information on workplace illnesses, injuries and fatalities as well as the number and frequency of workplace inspections, penalties, funding, staffing and public employee coverage under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act). The report also addresses delays in the rule-making process and emerging hazards such as pandemic flu and other infectious diseases. The report finds that in the face of an ongoing assault on regulations by business groups and Republicans in Congress, progress on many new important safety and health rules has stalled. The White House Office of Management and Budget has delayed needed protections including OSHA’s draft proposed silica rule which has been held up for more than 2 years.

“Too many people are dying on the job right here in Virginia and a lot of work still needs to be done to ensure that no worker fears for his or her health and wellbeing on the job,” said Doris Crouse-Mays, Virginia AFL-CIO President. “Many workers are still unable to have a voice on the job and to advocate for better working conditions. A good job is not defined only by the absence of physical danger. Working people deserve respect, dignity, good wages, healthcare, and opportunities to grow and to give back to one’s community.”

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It tracks CEO pay and how it’s exploded, especially compared to workers’ paychecks. The site also looks at the CEOs calling for Social Security cuts and how they happen to be sitting on sweet retirement nest eggs.

Take a peek at these trends and what Virginia’s highest paid CEOs are bringing home.

Three massive coal companies- Peabody, Arch and Patriot Coal-are trying to use the U.S. bankruptcy court to wipe away pension and healthcare plans for 23,000 retired miners and their families.

Shirley Inman, a retired miner whose retirement benefits are threatened, explains the scheme and what’s at stake for her:

“I never worked a day for Patriot Coal. I don’t care what the corporate name is, those executives made us a promise: We’d mine their coal, and in exchange we’d have good health care while we worked and after we retired. I kept my promise; they should keep theirs.”

Even while trying to shred benefits for retirees like Shirley, Patriot Coal has the nerve to ask the bankruptcy court for $6 million for executive bonuses.

UMWA has been fighting this in the courts and on the streets – holding rallies, protests, marches and acts of civil disobedience in St. Louis for months.

On Monday, over 7,000 union activists and community supporters converged on Charleston, WV. Our bus from Roanoke arrived just in time for our group to walk into the giant civic center packed with thousands of camo-clad UMWA members to the tune of ‘Amazing Grace’. It’s stunning to see that many union people together. Knowing we were all there to fight for a just cause only added to the impact.

Monday started with a rally featuring remarks from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, UMWA President Cecil Roberts, UMWA Secretary-Treasurer Dan Kane, Senator Joe Manchin, and West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin. Then the overflowing crowd marched the two blocks to Patriot Headquarters.

Sixteen labor and religious leaders, including state fed presidents from Kentucky and West Virginia, offered themselves up for arrest in a peaceful act of civil disobedience. Cecil Roberts (International President of UMWA) repeatedly told the crowd, “If you haven’t been asked to be arrested, do not get arrested.” He knew those who spent hours on buses and traveled from 7 states would have joined the group in a heartbeat.

Doris was among the sixteen. In her remarks, she said she couldn’t think of a better reason to be arrested for the first time and was deeply honored to represent Virginia’s labor movement in this way.

Afterwards, Doris explained she had chills on the top of her head walking through the crowd. Adding, “it’s hard to describe the power of that moment.” For everyone there, it was a moving way to stand with thousands of retired miners against the greed of billion dollar companies.

The whole day was a reminder of how unique our movement is. It showed that over 7,000 activists would happily, in any way that was asked, stand in solidarity with their union brothers and sisters.

On the bus trip back, Lisa Kirkwood (APWU 482) said, “my grandfather was a coal miner. So this was a double thing for me- I went out to support them but also in his honor.”  Penny Franklin (IUE-CWA 82162) whose uncles were coal miners said making the trip was a no-brainer for her; there was no way she would have missed it. Everyone seemed to have a special connection with the Mineworkers. Mike Amos (USW Local 1023) called them his mentors. He recalled during the NAFTA fight, UMWA members from SW Virginia joining the fight even though it would not impact their jobs directly. He remembered them saying, “if they could move our mines to Mexico, they would. We’re here to stand with you.”

Richard Shorter (IUE-CWA 82162) added, “it was overwhelming really to see all the different locals of the UMWA and also the different affiliates of the AFL-CIO… come together in support of the United Mineworkers in their struggle.”

Flipping through the radio stations on the drive from Roanoke to NOVA, I came to a Christian station and one of the hosts said, “Oneness is probably the most powerful concept there is.” That could not have summed up the day any better.

On Sunday March 24th, the National Association of Letter Carriers spearheaded a National Day of Action urging Congress to save 6 day delivery. In Virginia, the events lived up to the NALC’s unofficial motto. Hundreds of activists braved snow in Roanoke, sleet in Richmond, rain in Virginia Beach and a healthy mix in Arlington to urge Congress to protect the postal service.

Ginger is a member of NALC Branch 1100 out of San Diego, California and was in Hopewell visiting an uncle. She looked up the nearest Delivering for America event and joined a spirited group of local letter carriers, family members and area union activists for the Richmond rally. She said, “It’s quite cold for the California girl but I’m proud to be here.”

Father and son, John (IBT Local 592) and Jacob (IAM Local 696) King made the trek up from Petersburg to show support. They both said they saw the attacks on the postal service as a broader attack on workers and wanted to stand up for good jobs. Jacob shared a story of his local letter carrier taking the time to circle back to their house to make sure they received a package. John added, “I’m here supporting these people because they’re professionals and they do their job well.”

On the impact of cutting 6 day delivery, Ron Hinton (President, NALC Branch 496) explained, “it will have an adverse effect on small businesses, rural communities, and will take away the connection on Saturday for the American people.”

Most people don’t realize that the postal service’s financial troubles were deliberately manufactured. Back in 2006, Congress passed a mandate requiring the USPS to prefund their healthcare benefits out 75 years. In other words, for workers not yet born. It’s a requirement no other company or government agency is subject to.  It is a ridiculous burden on an otherwise solvent agency.

For the last few years, postal employees have been mobilizing in an effort to stop those in Congress who want to dismantle the USPS. For these workers, it’s not only about saving jobs but preserving an institution they take great pride representing. The postal service is the single biggest employer of veterans, its first post master general was Ben Franklin and its roots stretch into every community. They care about the people on their routes and often mention the seniors who they’ve delivered mail and medicine to for years.

Gail Burton Jones (President, Virginia chapter of the NALC) summed up the motivation behind this day of action, “we just want the American people to be aware of what’s going on and get involved by contacting their representative and say, ‘we want 6 day mail delivery.”

VIDEO
Frozen, but proud
I’m supporting these people
Way of life

Richmond- Instead of expanding access to voting and ensuring we have a free, fair and open democracy, SB1256 adds new and costly restrictions on voting. 

Tomorrow, the House Appropriations committee will consider passage of unnecessary voting restrictions in the form of a photo ID voter bill. We urge lawmakers to oppose this misguided legislation.

SB1256 effectively disenfranchises hundreds of thousands of Virginians for no good reason. The bill would disproportionately impact minorities, students, poor people, seniors and disabled citizens. Similar to the voter ID legislation passed last session and put into practice just six months ago, it is a solution in search of a problem.

On top of that, a study from the Commonwealth Institute reviewed the true cost of implementing photo ID bills in other states and found doing so in Virginia could cost between $7 and $21 million.

“We cannot afford to have laws that push people out of the electorate,” said Doris Crouse-Mays, Virginia AFL-CIO President. “Our democracy is healthiest when more people participate and have a stake in the political process. After voters waited 3 to 4 hours to vote in last years’ election, we hoped the General Assembly would find the will to pass legislation to lengthen polling hours, add more voting machines and expand access to early and absentee voting. Instead, the General Assembly seems poised to add even more obstacles that make the fundamental right of voting more difficult.”

Resources:
The Commonwealth Institute: Voter Photo ID Could Cost Virginia Millions

Virginia AFL-CIO represents 150,000 union members in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia AFL-CIO speaks for labor collectively in Virginia and advances labor’s political and public positions. It represents a consensus of labor’s priorities, policy and opinions.