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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 25, 2019 10:18 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Patrick J. Harkins |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | The Jake Schwab Worker Safety Bill |
| What if I told you that private sector workers have more workplace protections than our police officers, firemen, corrections officers, road maintenance workers, and other public employees in Pennsylvania? You would probably be shocked to find out that it is the truth. The majority of private sector employees are protected under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA), while public sector employees are not. Unfortunately, this fact was brought to my attention after Erie resident Jake Schwab was fatally injured at work in 2014. Jake was a mechanic with the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority, a public sector employer that is exempt from OSHA regulations. As a result, the details of the incident and any safety concerns that would have been raised through an OSHA review have been hard to track. This legislation will extend OSHA protections to public sector workers in Pennsylvania. All workers deserve the right to work in an environment that is free from unnecessary health and safety hazards, including the public sector workers that have some of the most dangerous jobs in the Commonwealth. The public employees of Pennsylvania have dedicated their careers to public service. Please join me in honoring Jake Schwab’s memory by improving the safety of their workplaces. |
Introduced as HB1082