Victory for Ergonomics

Action Needed to Fight Congressional and Business Attacks

Jobs should be designed to reduce forces and keep workers in neutral postures. UAW Local 67 members are making all lift devices easy to use.

After ten long years of struggle, workers in this country have finally won protections to prevent crippling repetitive strain injuries, the nation's biggest job safety problem. On November 14, OSHA issued its final ergonomics standard which will prevent hundreds of thousands of injuries each year. The final standard requires employers to implement ergonomics programs and fix jobs where musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) occur. The Standard is not as strong as the labor movement had sought. It does not require action until workers are injured and fails to cover all workers. But the rule is a huge step forward and will bring about major improvements in workplace safety. (See the factsheet on OSHA's final ergonomic standard).

The promulgation of this new workplace protection is a major victory for workers, the labor movement and safety and health activists. For years, big business groups and anti-worker members of Congress have waged a relentless campaign to block the ergonomics standard. Repeatedly, Republican leaders have made - and then broken - agreements to allow the ergonomics standard to proceed. Just weeks ago, Republican House leaders blew up an agreement their own negotiators had reached on a major budget bill - bowing to opposition from the Chamber of Commerce and other business interests to any agreement that permitted the final standard to be promulgated.

As we celebrate this victory, we must get ready for the certain attempts by business and Congressional opponents to overturn the final standard through legislative and court actions. In Congress, efforts to overturn the final rule or block it from taking effect may begin immediately as Congress returns for a lame duck session.

Next: Lame Duck Congress May Attack the Standard