Group looks to defeat ergonomics initiative
Tuesday, September 30, 2003 8:32 AM PDT
By Staff
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E-mail this articleA group of labor unions and other organizations kicked off a campaign Monday to defeat Initiative 841, which calls on voters this November to repeal workplace ergonomics regulations.
In addition to the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, other groups supporting the campaign called Working Families for Safer Jobs, include Washington State Nurses Association, the Washington Chiropractic Association, the Washington Association of Churches, the Alliance for Retired Americans, the Washington chapter of the National Organization for Women, Health Care for All, Washington, and Washington Citizen Action.
"It makes good common sense to keep workers healthy," said Rick Bender, president of the Washington State Labor Council, which is spearheading the effort.
The initiative calls for the repeal of Department of Labor and Industries ergonomics regulations introduced in 2000. The regulations have never been enacted because of complaints from business groups that the cost of implementing them is so high that it would force companies out of the state and discourage others from moving here. Critics call the ergonomics regulations "job killers."
Initiative 841 is the only statewide measure on the ballot in the general election. Groups that support it include the Association of Washington Business, the Washington Farm Bureau, the Washington Food Industry and the Building Industry Association of Washington.
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