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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 2018)
PAGE 4 | January 5, 2018 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS WORKER SAFETY FedEx executive will be Trump’s new OSHA chief Scott Mugno — President Don- ald Trump’s nominee to head the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) — got the thumbs up from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Commit- tee in a party-line vote Dec. 13. But that vote came after a Dec. 1 hearing in which he was grilled by Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and other Democ- rats. Mugno, nominated by Trump on Oct. 27, is currently vice president for safety, sustainabil- ity and vehicle maintenance at FedEx Ground. He also chairs the U.S. Chamber of Com- merce’ OSHA subcommittee. “I’m concerned about your record that stands against every- thing OSHA should stand for,” Murray told Mugno in the hear- ing. “During your two-plus decades at FedEx, you have consistently opposed stronger safety and health protections for workers,” Murray said — in- cluding OSHA’s proposed respi- rator and ergonomics standards. “Can you name a single rule proposed by OSHA that during your career you supported?” “I don’t recall,” Mugno replied. Massachusetts Democrat Elizabeth Warren asked Mugno if he would return to OSHA’s practice of issuing press releases publicizing big fines against egregious job safety violators, which she said serve as a deter- rent to other employers. Warren said OSHA averaged 400 such releases a year under Obama, but just 26 so far under Trump. Mugno said he’d “have to con- sult with staff.” In the hearing, Mugno said he recognizes the role of unions in enforcing job safety and health. He also said while he was in law school, he was a shop steward for Retail, Wholesale and De- partment Store Workers Local 1-S at Macy’s in New York City, and filed grievances over job safety problems. All Republican senators on the committee voted to recom- mend approval of the nomina- tion, while all Democratic sena- tors voted against. The full Senate is expected to confirm Mugno early this year. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING City of Portland ratifies DCTU deal Nearly 1,100 workers at the City of Portland have a new contract. The District Council of Trade Unions (DCTU), a coali- tion of six unions that bargains jointly with the City, announced Dec. 12 that members voted to ratify the deal. Portland City Council then voted to ratify it on Dec. 14. The agreement pro- vides immediate 3.85 percent raises retroactive to July 1, fol- lowed by inflation-based cost- of-living adjustments on July 1, 2018 and 2019. Workers in a number of job classifications will also get separate raises of up to 10 percent — where the two sides agreed that they were underpaid compared to counter- parts elsewhere. The new agree- ment runs through July 1, 2010. The unions involved are AF- SCME Local 189, IBEW Local 48, Machinists Lodge 1005, Op- erating Engineers Local 701, UA Local 290, and Painters Dis- trict Council 5. Were you part of it when it happened? The Northwest Labor Press is look- ing for stories of labor union mem- bers who participated in the strug- gle for civil rights, who helped win racial justice improvements in the workplace, or fought to make unions more equitable and inclu- sive. To share your story, call us at 503-288-3311 — or email us at editor@nwlaborpress.org. Raymond Thomas Cynthia Newton Melissa Haggerty James Coon Chris Frost Sydney Montanaro The only time you must go to a doctor chosen by the workers’ compensa- tion insurer is if you receive a proper notice of an “independent medical exam (IME).” This one-time appointment is for their expert to com- ment on your case. 820 SW Second Ave., Suite 200, Portland, OR 97204 Scott Sell Chris Thomas www.tcnf.legal SHOP LOCAL. AND BUY UNION AND AMERICAN-MADE!
