The New York State Public Employees Federation (PEF) is the labor union that represents 53,000 professional, technical, and scientific workers employed by NY state government agencies. Included in its membership are the health and safety inspectors who work for the Labor Department's Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) program. The program is a state plan and partially funded by federal OSHA. Inspectors enforce OSHA standards in public employment including municipal, county, and state worksites. In 1999 PEF conducted a survey of the inspectors in response to complaints about inadequate staffing and training of inspectors. The results of the survey, including quotes from the inspectors, reveal the negative effects that cuts in program resources have had. Federal OSHA had also issued letters of deficiency regarding staffing of the program and a coaltion of public employee unions, led by the State AFL-CIO, organized to protest the cuts in the program and the negative impact they were having on public employee health and safety. Survey data as well as strategies employed to restore the PESH program will be reviewed.
Learning Objectives: Learn about the effect of cuts in public employee health and safety enforcement programs. Explore strategies used to obtain proper resources for public employee health and safety enforcement programs. Be apprised of the results of a public employee union colation's effort to restore staffing and training for a large state public employee health and safety program
Keywords: Government, Occupational Safety
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.