The promise of good jobs realized

In Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Acting Secretary Julie Su and Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson announced a new publication to help employers protect workers from the dangers of opioid use disorder. They joined National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Director Dr. John Howard, workplace safety experts, employers, miners and steelworkers for a roundtable discussion on opioid use disorder in mining communities, workplace prevention efforts and resources, and the importance of recovery-friendly workplaces.

The department believes that federal investments should support the creation of good jobs that change lives for the better. President Biden’s Investing in America and Investing in American Workers Executive Order will ensure that federal investments create more jobs that help workers not just get by, but get ahead. 

OSHA has updated guidance to protect meat processing workers focusing on cleanup operations, ergonomics, hazardous energy and machine guarding. Employer-reported data shows meat and poultry workers suffer serious injuries at double the rate of other workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports illness cases in the animal slaughtering and processing industry were six times higher than the average for all industries in 2022.

The U.S. and Swiss governments have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding to expand and strengthen quality apprenticeships and pathways to good jobs, including Registered Apprenticeships, among Swiss companies and Swiss-invested companies in the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training José Javier Rodríguez, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets Arun Venkataraman, Department of Education Deputy Undersecretary for Postsecondary Education Jennifer Mishory and Swiss Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin participated in the signing ceremony on Oct. 23 at the Swiss Ambassador’s residence in Washington.

Last week, Acting Secretary Su joined Illinois workers and labor leaders to highlight the administration’s American Rescue Plan Act, which has secured and strengthened more than 200 defined benefit pension plans covering more than two million workers, including members of the Midwestern Teamsters Plan. “This is more than just a lifeline for retirees. It’s a victory for fairness, a victory for dignity, and for every one of you in this room, because you can now retire knowing that your pension is secure,” Su said.

In Michigan, Acting Secretary Su and Assistant Secretary Chris Williamson visited the Cleveland-Cliffs Tilden Mine in Ishpeming, which supplies iron ore pellets for U.S. steel production. They convened a roundtable to discuss how the Biden-Harris administration’s investments and policies support “Made in America” products and good jobs in the nation’s steel supply chains. She later traveled to Okemos for a public hearing on worker protections and monitoring and tracking technology.

Recent increases in union representation petitions confirm that workers want unions – and they have the Biden-Harris administration’s full support.

A New York federal judge ordered a Rochester contractor to pay $16K in fines after OSHA found the company did not require workers facing 4-story falls to use fall protection.

On Oct. 27, Acting Secretary Su announced a grant in Las Vegas to increase women’s participation in good jobs in the building and construction trades, advanced manufacturing and tech jobs.

At a White House ceremony, we welcomed 138 organizations as Apprenticeship Ambassadors and recognized current ambassadors for their commitments to Registered Apprenticeships.

We’ve awarded an additional $5 million to Florida to support disaster-relief jobs and continue the state’s recovery after Hurricane Idalia.

Find out how the Tennessee Valley Trades Labor Council labor-management partnership is working for workers, employers and the communities it helps power.

The administrator of OSHA’s new Birmingham, Alabama, regional office shares the agency’s priorities for improving safety and health for workers in the South.

Financial planning can help people with disabilities access good jobs throughout their employment journey. Here's how.

Roberto and Tania worked together at a Mexican restaurant in Pennsylvania where the Wage and Hour Division recovered more than $1 million in back wages, withheld tips and liquidated damages for them and their co-workers.

Lisa Gomez, Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security presented on a Women's Health Equity panel at the @thenyjl. Check out these photos from the event! #AskEBSA #MentalHealthParity          

                                                                                                -@USDOL on X

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