Urge Congress to protect front line workers who blow the whistle

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect lives and livelihoods across the United States, thousands of health and safety workers, as well as other essential personnel, have reported unsafe working conditions under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), a law aimed at ensuring a safe work environment for all workers within the United States. 

But this federal law is failing, and workers are being forced to choose between losing their job or battling unsafe work conditions. Currently, hospital employees exposed to COVID-19, oil rig workers injured on the job, farm laborers working long hours in the sun and other members of the workforce have few anti-retaliation protections and even fewer avenues to report unsafe working conditions and other workplace violations. However, Congress has put forward a remedy.

On the 50^th anniversary of OSHA’s enactment, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), along with Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC), introduced the Protecting America’s Workers Act – a key reform to modernize and strengthen OSHA.

The Protecting America’s Workers Act  provides OSHA the necessary tools to ensure that employers promptly correct hazardous working conditions, protect workers from retaliation when they blow the whistle on unsafe working conditions, and hold employers accountable for violations that cause illness, death or serious injury to workers. This bill also expands OSHA coverage to nearly 8 million government employees, protecting them from negligence and retaliation and updating workplace standards and outdated protections. 

So, please, write to your representatives today. Demand Congress pass this urgently needed reform to the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The time to ensure protection in the workplace is now.