One of the basic rights of workers in America is the right to a safe workplace. No worker should have to fear injury or death just for showing up for work.

Unfortunately, for many workers, this freedom from fear remains out of reach. Corporate corner-cutting and Bush Administration rollbacks have put millions of workers at risk. In 2005 alone, 5,700 workers were killed on the job, with 4.2 million suffering injuries.

Change to Win is committed to securing a safe and healthy workplace for every working American.

On April 1, 2008, Change to Win Health and Safety coordinator Eric Frumin and United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) member Doris Morrow testified as witnesses at a Senate hearing to address the dangerous pattern of large corporations ignoring or avoiding their obligations to insure a safe workplace. The testimony focused on serious violations at BP, McWane Corp., Cintas Corp., House of Raeford, Smithfield Foods, AgriProcessors, Waste Management Inc., and Avalon Bay.

• Press release: Change to Win Testifies Before Congress on Dangerous Patterns of Abuse by Large Corporate Employers
• Video and transcripts from the hearing on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Web site

On April 26, 2007, a new bill called the Protecting America's Workers Act was introduced in the U.S. Congress. If passed into law, this legislation would strengthen worker protections in several key areas:

• Covering more workers -- 8.5 million workers not now covered by Federal health and safety regulations would get protection
• Increasing penalties for lawbreakers -- stiffer punishments are provided for companies whose negligence results in worker injury or death
• Protecting whistleblowers -- workers who "blow the whistle" on unsafe conditions in the workplace would receive more extensive protection from retribution
• Improving accountability and transparency -- more information about workplace injuries would be made public, and workers would have increased access to Labor Department investigators
• Clarifying employer responsibilities -- employers would be clearly required to pay for necessary safety equipment for their employees

Workers have been speaking out in support of the Protecting America's Workers Act:

• Statement of Konnie Campagna: registered nurse from Washington State (PDF)
  

Learn more about the Protecting America's Workers Act:

• Take Action: Tell your Members of Congress to support the Protecting America's Workers Act
• Change to Win Executive Director Greg Tarpinian's statement
• Fact sheet on the Act (PDF)
• Video and statements from April 26, 2007 hearing of Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
  
• Video and statements from April 24, 2007 hearing of House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
  • Testimony of Scott Schneider, Director of Occupational Safety and Health, Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America

OSHA Leaves Worker Safety in Hands of Industry
New York Times, April 25, 2007