October 12, 2016

Great Turnout at the OSH Activist Network Meeting

At our OSH Activist Network Meeting on October 4, we had the opportunity to not only learn about pivotal campaigns that folks are moving on, but to show our solidarity with one another, including the promise to bring what we learned back to our communities.

There were four amazing presentations before we opened the floor to some general discussion and announcements:

bcfEmily Reuman from the Breast Cancer Fund gave a presentation on exposure to toxic chemicals in cleaning products and a long-term campaign to reduce worker and consumer exposure to chemicals linked to cancer, reproductive harm, asthma, and allergies. She invited us to join in a 2017 campaign to pass legislation in California that would require disclosure of the ingredients on cleaning products so that this information can inform a federal regulatory effort. For more information, click here.

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October 10, 2016

National COSH Webinar on Flavoring Chemicals

webinargraphic2The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health is hosting a free webinar on Thursday, October 13 at Noon, on the dangers of exposure to flavoring chemicals.

Attorneys Anne McGinness Kearse and Scott Hall of Motley Rice are helping workers learn more about the potential dangers of chemical flavorings. They also represent workers who may have developed diseases as a result of harmful exposure. They will discuss how workers who work in facilities that process coffee, candy, microwave popcorn, and other products can be exposed to flavoring chemicals linked to dangerous lung diseases.

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September 23, 2016

OSH Activist Network Meeting

oan-mtg-10-4-16Join us at our next Southern California Occupational Safety and Health Activist Network meeting on Tuesday, October 4 from 9:30 am to Noon at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor (2130 James M. Wood Boulevard, Los Angeles).

The meeting will include presentations from Don’t Waste L.A., the Breast Cancer Fund, National COSH, Worksafe, and UNITE HERE. There will also be an opportunity for folks to share updates on and ways in which others can get involved with the work they are doing around occupational safety and health.

Mark your calendars and see you there!

August 23, 2016

Domestic Workers in Illinois Win Bill of Rights

Rep._Hernandez_850_565On August 10 in California, SB 1015 (2016 Domestic Workers Bill of Rights) successfully passed in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. SB 1015 would remove the 2017 sunset provision of AB 241 (2013) — which granted overtime protections to California’s privately hired domestic workers — and make the law’s provisions permanent. Domestic workers in California are now in the final stretch of their campaign in the Assembly. Click here to find out more and how you can take action. 

The article below, by Parker Asmann, on the recent victory for domestic workers in Illinois, is from In These Times:

Domestic workers in Illinois are celebrating a new bill of rights.

Gov. Bruce Rauner signed the bill into law last week, capping a 5-year campaign and making Illinois the 7th state to adopt such a protection.

Sponsored by Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-8th District) in the Senate and Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24th District) in the House, the Illinois Domestic Workers Bill of Rights gives nannies, housecleaners, homecare workers and other domestic workers a minimum wage, protection from discrimination and sexual harassment and one day of rest every seven days for workers employed by one employer for at least 20 hours a week.
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August 16, 2016

COSH Groups Support Petition for Fed OSHA Workplace Violence Prevention Standard

2d9a090b-23db-49f1-89f2-e48dcecca36eFrom the COSH Network Worker Safety News, August 2016:

In solidarity with labor unions representing millions of American workers, National COSH and local COSH organizations [including SoCalCOSH] sent a letter to Labor Secretary Thomas Perez and OSHA chief Dr. David Michaels, endorsing petitions that call for a comprehensive federal standard to prevent workplace violence in the health care and social assistance sectors. National COSH’s letter stressed that “workplace violence must be addressed anywhere and everywhere it occurs.” Protection from workplace violence is a right for all workers.