Skip to main content

Happening Today: Senate HELP Committee to Vote on OSHA Nominee

 

Today, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (“HELP”) is set to vote on President Joe Biden’s nomination of Doug Parker to serve as the head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”).

The HELP Committee, which currently has majority control by Democrats, is expected to clear Parker’s nomination (likely along party lines) and send it to the Senate for further debate and a vote.  The new head of OSHA will be stepping into what many think is the tail end of a rather turbulent time in regard to workplace safety.  After nearly a year and a half into the coronavirus pandemic, workplace safety has been a hot topic at OSHA as several requirements and recommendations have been released in regard to protecting workers against the pandemic.  These OSHA requirements and recommendations, in regard to workplace safety, have involved requiring face coverings in the workplace, stipulating how many workers are allowed in a confined work space, how employers are to handle workers that contract the coronavirus, etc.

Should Parker be confirmed, which at this point appears likely, he would oversee OSHA’s efforts to continue taking steps to protect workers as well as investigating workplace safety issues.  Even with the coronavirus pandemic appearing to be tapering off in the U.S., I suspect that concerns will still arise over how workers can (and should be) protected against related outbreaks in the workplace going forward.  Parker, as the head of OSHA, would certainly have the ability to shape OSHA’s policies in that regard, should he be confirmed.


For additional information:  https://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/nominations6921

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NLRB: Discussion Among Employees About Tip Pooling is Protected Concerted Activity

  This Advice Memorandum from the National Labor Relations Board’s Associate General Counsel, Jayme Sophir, addressed whether employees which discussed and complained about tip pooling at work constituted protected concerted activity. In relevant part, an employer in New York operated a chain of steakhouses.  While tip pooling was in place at these steakhouses, some of the employees objected to it on the grounds that it was not transparent and improperly divided tips among the workers.  Employees were told not to complain or talk to each other about the tip pool and were told that doing so would endanger their jobs.  Despite the employer later attempting to provide some clarity as to how the tips were being divided, rancor still existed among some employees.  At one point, the employees were told by a general manager that some employees that had been talking about the tip pool were “cleared out” and the employer would continue to do so. In the Advice Memorandum,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Breaking: Labor Secretary Rumored to Be Leaving Administration

A few hours ago, word leaked out that Labor Secretary Marty Walsh (“Walsh”) is in the midst of negotiations to head up the NHL Players Union and leave his position at the Labor Department. Walsh, who has served as the sole Labor Secretary under President Biden, has taken part in a labor renaissance of sorts as support for organized labor has increased during his term as Labor Secretary (although the number of workers that have joined a union over the past two years has not grown as mush as some expected.)  He has also overseen the ongoing negotiations with rail workers over a new contract, although that matter is still on shaky ground and playing out as we speak. As for who might step into the vacant Labor Secretary role, there are already rumblings that President Biden should nominate Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su (a strong labor advocate) or even a progressive like Senator Bernie Sanders.  Until Walsh officially gives his notice, however, I would expect some/many potential...
Post a Comment
Read more

San Diego Rolls Back Vaccine Mandate For City Workers

Last Tuesday, the San Diego City Council voted to do away with the vaccine mandate for city employees. The city’s vaccine mandate that was in place required city workers to get the coronavirus vaccine or risk termination.  Perhaps to this surprise of no one, the city’s policy came under fire with 14 employees being terminated and over 100 other employees resigning.  With the coronavirus subsiding, including in Southern California, the San Diego City Council took action. Now, bear in mind, the repeal of the vaccine mandate does not take place immediately. With that being said, the mandate will be repealed March 8th.  I suppose the question now is, what other cities or regions follow San Diego’s lead? For additional information:   https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2023-01-24/san-diego-repeals-controversial-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-citing-drop-in-cases-hospitalizations
Post a Comment
Read more