Florida passes bill to test state workers for drugs
Florida lawmakers on Friday approved a measure allowing state agency heads to randomly test employees for illegal drugs, sending the bill to Gov. Rick Scott, who is expected to sign it.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/12/us-florida-drugs-idUSBRE82B02U20120312
Gov. Walker signs worker training bill for unemployed
Gov. Scott Walker has signed a bill that creates a pilot program to give people on unemployment a chance to take part-time training jobs with employers that could lead to full-time work. Participants in the one-year program will get an additional $75 a week in unemployment benefits.
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20120312/GPG0101/120312093
Workers who dealt with radiation at WWII plant in Fort Wayne sought for compensation program
The work lasted only eight years, but the effects scarred a generation for decades. In 1944, the Joslyn Manufacturing and Supply Co. in Fort Wayne began work on a contract with the Manhattan Engineering District to turn short, stubby chunks of uranium into long rods. Compensation is available to survivors of workers who have died from radiation-induced illnesses. But finding those workers isn’t easy.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/c2a094adc24a4cab90490fae35cf5e19/IN–Exchange-Radiation-Workers/
DADT repeal leads to few changes for soldiers, says new study
After the repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy in September 2011, advocates on both sides of the debate predicted far-reaching changes in the lives of service members. But according to a new poll conducted by the Military Times, the landmark policy change has resulted in far less upheaval than expected.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/12/dadt-repeal-few-changes_n_1339527.html
Dying for work
Across America, people are dying for work. It’s not because they’re unemployed. It’s because they work for corporations that don’t care if they die. Every day, 12 workers die on the job in America — often because a corporation has defied regulations or ignored standard safety procedures. Many more die prematurely from work exposure to toxic materials.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leo-w-gerard/dying-for-work_b_1338052.html
OSHA product alert leads to better consumer protection
If you’ve followed some of the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) actions with regard to the popular hair-straightening product “Brazilian Blowout” and other hair smoothers, you know there is a price beyond the $300.00 you fork over at the salon. Since then, we’ve seen a number of changes that will serve to protect both workers and consumers.
http://social.dol.gov/blog/osha-product-alert-leads-to-better-consumer-protection/
Children face dangers on farms, but not from farmwork
There’s plenty of argument on what should be done to ensure the safety of children who live or work on farms. About 84 children die each year in accidents on farms, according to a new study, and 26,570 are injured. Because those injuries are usually severe, they come with high price tag — $1.4 billion a year, the study found.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/03/12/148320219/children-face-dangers-on-farms-but-not-from-farmwork
iPad workers: Plant inspected hours before blast
Last week, NPR met with 25 workers injured in the Shanghai blast and they criticized safety at the plant and said Apple had inspected it just hours before the explosion. He Wenwen says he was calibrating his machine, which polished aluminum backings for the iPad 2, when the explosion hit.
http://www.npr.org/2012/03/12/148421415/apple-workers-plant-inspected-hours-before-blast
Air controller involved in 2nd potential collision
An air traffic controller who nearly caused a midair collision last year has again been relieved of duty after putting two planes on converging courses. The case raises questions about whether employee rights are trumping safety at the Federal Aviation Administration.
http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Air-controller-involved-in-2nd-potential-collision-3395079.php
