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SENATOR
EDWARD MONROE KENNEDY
I
really feel the best can be said by his family. Family
Statement:
“Edward M. Kennedy—the husband, father,
grandfather, brother and uncle we loved so
deeply—died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis
Port. We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our
family and joyous light in our lives, but the
inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance
will live on in our hearts forever. We thank everyone
who gave him care and support over this last year, and
everyone who stood with him for so many years in his
tireless march for progress toward justice, fairness
and opportunity for all. He loved this country and
devoted his life to serving it. He always believed
that our best days were still ahead, but it’s hard
to imagine any of them without him.”
Rest
in Peace Senator Edward Monroe Kennedy!
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Have
you lost someone in the workplace? Did OSHA contact
you?
Below
is an excerpt from a June 19,
2009 letter to a family signed by the Active Head and Deputy
Assistant Secretary for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
"...the Agency sends them copies of citations, appeal letters, and the results of any informal settlements as soon as the documents are issued. In addition, once the investigation is completed, portions of the investigation file normally subject to release under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) are provided to family members without charge, upon written or oral request."
Most
families have not had this experience however with the new
administration we are hoping that this will change. Has this
been your this has been experience. We are looking for
families who have lost someone after June 19th to contact us
and let us know what experience you have had. Please
send your comments to Tammy
Calendar
of Events
o
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Worker Safety & Health National Summit: A New Era for Safety and Health Activism
Saturday Nov. 7, 2009, 9am-5pm in Philadelphia (day before APHA conference)
Maximize the current momentum to develop a common strategy for policy change:
• Move forward safety legislation,
• Advance healthy and safety standards,
• Promote the rights of victims and families.
Special lunch with Jordan Barab, Acting Asst. Secretary of Labor/Director of OSHA. |
«
Bills
in Waiting
Although the Secretary
of Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis declared OSHA would
begin the rulemaking on combustible dust a long over due
bill that passed the House; we will keep it up as a reminder
until it is released. There will be comment periods
that we can take advantage of.
Much of H.R.2067 Protecting
America's Workers Act was once part of a Family
Bill of Rights and has some new and exciting
elements that have been fought for since USMWF's Beginning.
Many family members got together in 2006 to put together a
number of basic rights we felt was necessary for healing,
functionality and a truly transparent investigative system
that have been included in H.R. 2067. This bill will
change the penalties and prosecution process and
evaluate the penalties every four years, the employer must
notify OSHA is there is an incident that causes a serious
injury or death and preserve the evidence, OSHA may not
classify any violation as unclassified, along with informing
the families of their rights in the process, giving the
injured and killed worker a voice by giving the family the
right to a representative that will have the opportunity to
meet with the secretary and right to participate in
proceedings, be notified of all correspondences between the
employer and OSHA, and the families will gain the citation
report without cost. Families being included in H.R.
2067 is historic and all the families that have been
involved whether they have worked on this particular goal or
other rights for the families you should raise your head
with pride that your voice and the voice of your loved one
has been heard loud and clear.
Please take a
moment to look over these bills at the left they are all
important pieces of legislation and deserve our attention.
We recently added a
model letter
in support of the PAWA for the families. We encourage
you to send these out to your reps and if you need help as
always contact someone at USMWF if you need help.
I have also included a cleaned
up version of H.R.2067 Protecting America's Workers Act
so it is a little easier for you all to read.
The
Sobering Facts: Workplace injury, Illness & Death
Each
day millions of fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, sons, and
daughters leave their homes for another day of work. They
work in retail stores, restaurants, mines, hospitals, and
countless other industries. They work to provide for their
families, save for the future, and be part of a better
Society. Tragically, many of these workers and their loved
ones have no idea that simply going to work may jeopardize
their limbs and life.
According
to the US Department of Labor, in 2005, 4.2 million
non-fatal injuries and illnesses were reported in private
industry workplaces. In 2006, 5,703 US workers were fatally
injured on the job
Behind
each one of these injured, sickened or killed workers is a
family in mourning – a family in need of answers,
resources, and support.
Together
we have an amazingly unique opportunity of empowering the
surviving family members of our Nation’s workplace, thus
strengthening the rights of workers and their families.
Our future plans are to:
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Provide
information and education to family members by turning
the Resource Guide into a step by step training manual
on what the families need to know and do after a loss.
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Provide
scholarships for families desiring to attend hearings
and events that will protect and improve workers
and their family’s rights.
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Strengthen
our presence by further our family outreach with initial
contact and guidance.
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Enhance
the USMWF's web site so that others may add their own
tribute and contact other families with the same
interest.
We
do need your support to continue our work so please consider
giving a donation of money or time. USMWF
families will not let you down.
Charles
Edward Marsh & The Public Welfare Foundation
2008
According
to Anonymous Giver, a biography of Marsh by Philip
Kopper, Marsh wrote that "public welfare" was
"a pretty wide pair of words," by which he intended the
Foundation to involve itself in "any activity which would
promote the well-being and happiness of human
beings." A document drafted at the time,
according to Kopper, declared that the Foundation would make
"gifts for education, charitable or benevolent uses in
accordance with a plan which shall meet the changing need for such
gifts with flexibility...." We
can not thank the Public Welfare Foundation enough for having
faith in our efforts and the first to grant USMWF
a way to get the job done!
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