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Public
Employee Press After months
of Republican obstructionism U.S. Senate approves
Obama labor nominees The U.S. Senate recently overrode
months of Republican delaying tactics to confirm President Barack Obamas
nominations for Labor Dept. positions that are crucial to protecting workers from
violations of wage and safety laws.
Respected scientist and safety advocate
Dr. David Michaels will now head the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
And former New York State Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith, known for her
vigorous action against minimum wage and over-time violations, will be the nations
top labor lawyer.
After the eight Bush years of favoritism to business,
Michaels aims to restore OSHA to its historic role protecting the nations
working people from on-the-job accidents and diseases.
A lifelong safety
activist, Michaels and the Montefiore Hospital medical students he brought to
DC 37 worked closely with the unions Safety Dept. in the early 1980s to
protect members from exposure to toxic chemicals and the ergonomic hazards of
working at computer terminals.
Fearing he would move to implement strong
workplace health and safety regulations, Republicans and industry lobbyists blocked
his confirmation for four months. Michaels, expected to use his knowledge and
passion to steer the agency back to vigilance on workplace safety, has already
moved to shift more OSHA staff to enforcement duties.
Smiths nomination
as Labor Dept. solicitor the chief enforcer of U.S. labor laws also
drew fierce opposition from business and Republicans. Representing fewer people
than four of New Yorks boroughs, Wyoming Republican Sen. Michael B. Enzi
spearheaded the nine-month delay in Smiths confirmation.
Her job
will involve cleaning up the disarray created by the Bush administrations
failure to enforce workers legal protections. Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin
said her expertise is needed now more than ever when American workers are
struggling and deserve a strong advocate."
With 16 U.S. workers killed
every day due to reckless negligence by their employers, and millions cheated
out of pay and overtime every year, President Obama made a strong commitment to
workers rights by picking Smith and Michaels.
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