Workers take Public Sector OSHA fight to senator’s door
House Bill 299 would finally extend OSHA-level protections to public sector workers in Pennsylvania, but the bill remains stuck in the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee, which is chaired by Senator Jarrett Coleman.
On June 21, union members braved the 90-degree temperatures to turn up the heat on Senator Coleman and urge him to allow a full vote on the Senate floor. Members and leaders of AFSCME, SEIU, CWA, UFCW, PSEA, AFT, IBEW, as well as the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO were in attendance.
AFSCME members urge Senator Coleman’s office to allow a vote on House Bill 299.
The bill passed in the House last year with bipartisan support, which is the closest that public employees in Pennsylvania have gotten to finally gaining equal coverage. We are urging Senator Coleman and the entire State Senate to do the right thing and get this bill to Governor Josh Shapiro’s desk.
AFSCME Local 1598 (Bucks County) member Linda Vuono spoke at the rally and shared stories of how Public Sector OSHA would help members in her local and beyond.
“The members of my local union who work in our schools would get the same protections as the privatized services in the school district that are protected by OSHA. Right now, my sisters and brothers in the same school have no safety protection oversight,” Linda shared.
“Senator Coleman, we need a vote!”
AFSCME Local 1598 President Linda Vuono rallies her fellow union members in front of Senator Jarrett Coleman’s office in Quakertown.
AFSCME Council 13 Administrator Mike Sukal echoed the calls for a vote on HB 299 and shared the names of workers we have lost in recent years.
“Opponents’ only argument against this bill is that it is too costly. They should tell that to the family of Jeremy Smith, who worked for the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority and was a 20-year member of AFSCME Local 2835 – he tragically died on the job in April of last year,” Sukal said.
“Think about Don Whipple, Robert Gensimore, Bryan Chamberlain, and Timothy Fitch, who are among the 91 names of fallen PennDOT workers. If we could have saved just one of those lives, then it would all be worth it.”
AFSCME Council 13 Administrator Mike Sukal rallies union members in Quakertown.
Public sector workers reported an injury rate 81% higher than their counterparts in the private sector, yet Pennsylvania remains among the 23 states that exclude us.
Council 13 members were grateful to see a national Public Sector OSHA bill recently introduced. Read more about that here.
Whether at the state or national level, AFSCME members will continue to be a loud voice for worker safety until all workers are equally and adequately protected.
