Public Employee Press

Lee Clarke to head job safety and health group

A longtime union warrior for workers' rights and safety, DC 37 Safety and Health Director Lee Clarke was recently elected chair of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health.

"This is really an honor," said Clarke.

"At a time when both public- and privatesector unions are under attack, NYCOSH's role of building a coalition to fight for every worker's right to a safe and healthful job is even more important."

NYCOSH is one of the nation's preeminent worker safety and training organizations. The 34-year-old nonprofit education and advocacy group's membership includes 175 unions and 300 individuals in the New York metropolitan area.

NYCOSH also elected Principal Program Coordinator Guille Mejia of the DC 37 Safety Dept., an outstanding safety and health advocate, as a member-at-large of its board.

NYCOSH provides quality safety and health training about workplace hazards and government regulations and is a watchdog of government agencies charged with enforcing safety and health regulations.

"NYCOSH will continue to focus on including more public- and private-sector unions, and building coalitions with community based organizations, environmental Clarke said.

Before her election as chair, Clarke was a board vice-chair and led NYCOSH's Workers' Compensation Committee.

NYCOSH's political efforts helped enact the state Workplace Violence Prevention Act, and the group is now pressing for "zero lift" safe patient handling legislation and fighting business efforts to rob injured workers of their rightful benefits, Clarke said. The group will remain aggressive in pushing for enforcement of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and the state Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) law, she said.