House approves workers’ comp reforms
The House on Tuesday passed a bipartisan bill that would overhaul federal workers’ compensation programs for the first time in almost 40 years and make it easier to catch cheats. HR 2465, the Federal Workers’ Compensation Modernization and Improvement Act, would give the Labor Department more power to identify employees who illegally work elsewhere while receiving federal workers’ compensation.
http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20111130/CONGRESS04/111300301/
Perry warns uncooperative federal workers: I’ll ‘reassign them to some really God-awful place’
Many Republican presidential candidates have argued the federal government is bloated and its employees are lacking. Texas Gov. Rick Perry gave a glimpse of how that attitude would play out if he became president on Tuesday evening, suggesting to a town hall crowd in New Hampshire that he would retaliate against career civil service employees if they disagreed with him. Perry stressed that he expects federal workers to follow his vision. If they don’t, he joked, he would punish them.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/29/rick-perry-federal-workers_n_1119599.html?ref=rick-perry-2012
Honoring Gabriel Zimmerman at U.S. Capitol
A Capitol Hill staffer, who lost his life in a shooting spree nearly one year ago, will forever be remembered in Washington. The House plans on renaming a room in the Capitol Visitor Center after Gabe Zimmerman. He was with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords when a gunman opened fire in Tucson in January. Gabe Zimmerman was the first Congressional staffer murdered in the line of duty.
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Honoring-Gabriel-Zimmerman-134742653.html
19 plaintiffs leave Capitol Police suit
Nineteen plaintiffs have withdrawn from a decade-old discrimination lawsuit against the Capitol Police, leaving 285 individuals left for the fight. First filed as an Office of Compliance grievance in 2001 with now-retired Capitol Police Lt. Sharon Blackmon-Malloy as the lead plaintiff, the complaint argued that more than 200 black officers were denied promotions, retaliated against, unfairly disciplined or fired because of their race.
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57_66/19-Plaintiffs-Leave-Capitol-Police-Suit-210624-1.html
AHF: 64,000 signatures send porn initiative to a vote in Los Angeles
On the eve of World AIDS Day and a month prior to submission deadline for signatures to qualify a citywide ballot initiative on measure to tie the issuance of adult film permits by the City of Los Angeles to condom use in adult films, condom advocates to announce sufficient signatures to qualify measure. Advocates from FAIR (For Adult Industry Responsibility), a campaign to shepherd the ballot initiative, needed at least 41,138 qualifying signatures (15% of all votes cast in the last mayoral election) by Dec. 23rd to place the measure on the June 2012 ballot.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ahf-64000-signatures-send-porn-initiative-to-a-vote-in-los-angeles-2011-11-29
OSHA publishes interim whistleblowers rules
OSHA has published interim final rules that revise regulations governing whistleblower complaints filed under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. OSHA administers whistleblower provisions for several federal agencies. The rules are available for review online at http://s.dol.gov/JN. OSHA is requesting public comment, which must be received by January 3, 2012.
http://safety.blr.com/workplace-safety-news/safety-administration/OSHA-and-state-safety-compliance-enforcement/OSHA-Publishes-Interim-Whistleblowers-Rules/
Seasonal workers: Avoid wage theft this holiday season
As unemployment continues to hover around nine percent, many Americans will be on the lookout for seasonal work this year. But before starting any new job, workers need to familiarize themselves with the potential pitfalls of seasonal or temporary employment to avoid becoming a victim of wage theft.
http://www.nclnet.org/worker-rights/148-wage-theft/589-seasonal-workers-avoid-wage-theft-this-holiday-season
Lessons learned from Walmart trampling
The trampling death of a Valley Stream Walmart employee in November 2008 garnered national attention and prompted action by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Three years later, several retailers say they are focused on employee and customer safety. Retail giants have started implementing detailed policies for crowd management for Black Friday sales and the remainder of the holiday season. Store officials say they have learned from the tragedy and want to prevent anything like it from happening again.
http://www.liherald.com/stories/Lessons-learned-from-Walmart-trampling,37156?page=1&content_source=
CDC recruiting employers for healthy worksite program
CDC announced a series of four webinars will be presented to acquaint employers nationwide with the National Healthy Worksite Program, an initiative to establish and then evaluate comprehensive programs to improve the health of workers and their families. The agency plans to recruit as many as 100 small, medium-sized, and large employers in seven locations to participate by implementing various programs.
http://ohsonline.com/articles/2011/11/30/cdc-recruiting-employers-for-healthy-worksite-program.aspx?admgarea=news
A hard turn: better health on the highway
On the road for weeks on end, with the sorts of diets that make nutritionists apoplectic, the nation’s truckers are in pretty bad shape. Now, beset by rising insurance costs and desperate to ensure their drivers pass government health tests, trucking companies and industry groups are working hard to persuade road warriors to change their habits.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/22/health/a-hard-turn-truck-drivers-try-steering-from-bad-diets.html?hp
