[PEN-L:9454] FW: Workers Memorial Day 1997

["Bove, Roger E." <rbove@xxxxxxxxx>]

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From: Bove, Roger E.
To: Bove, Roger E.
Subject: FW: Workers Memorial Day 1997
Date: Friday, April 11, 1997 12:27PM


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Bulletin Board: AFSCME
Message Subject: Workers Memorial Day 1997
Posted By: WILSON, CAROL A.
Message Number: 26-1

     On April 28, 1997, AFSCME and the unions of the AFL-CIO will once again
observe Workers Memorial Day.  This day has been set aside since 1989 as a
special day in memory of workers who have been killed or injured on the job.
 But this day is more than a remembrance; it is also a time to renew our
 fight for strong safety and health protections.

This Workers Memorial Day we are fighting to "Stop the Pain"   from
repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) and back injuries caused by ergonomic
hazards.  Each year more than 700,000 workers suffer from these injuries,
making them the nation's biggest job safety problem.  Virtually every
industry and occupation is affected.

But it doesn't have to be that way.  Programs have been implemented in some
workplaces that have reduced RSIs and back injuries.  Yet some employer
groups and some Congressional Republicans are continuing their efforts to
stop OSHA from issuing an ergonomics standard that could prevent these
injuries.

These efforts must be stopped.  On Workers Memorial Day, we must send a
strong message to congress, employers and the public that workers and union
are fighting back and demanding protection against RSIs and all workplace
injuries and illnesses.

This message was sent from Jordan Barab at AFSCME Department of Research


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Bulletin Board: AFSCME
Message Subject: Workers Memorial Day - 2
Posted By: WILSON, CAROL A.
Message Number: 28-1



This Year on Workers Memorial Day  (April 28) the University Flag
will be flown at half mast in honor of all Americans who have been
killed or injured on the job.

I sincerely hope that every one of you take a minute to think about
this and to think about  what it has cost someone you know or perhaps
even yourself.

 Many of us are being  injured simply by sitting at a computer or by
doing repetitive work.  Our supervisors don't think there is anything
wrong with us because we are not in a plaster cast and you can't see
anything wrong.  But cumulative trauma disorders are the largest
growing problem in the American workforce today  with over 700,000
injuries being reported each year.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says the number of CTD cases increased
by 10 times over the last decade and now account for more than 60% of
all reported illnesses.

The signs of pain and discomfort can be seen in many offices; with
computer operators popping pain killers, applying heat, using eye
drops, and taking other medications to get rid of their aches and
pains.
Also , a growing number of workers have had medical restrictions
placed on their duties by a medical professional.

Yes, the Information Age has certainly arrived; and tremendous energy
and creativity have been unloosed in order to find new applications
for computers.  Unfortunately, much less attention has been paid to
the effects these machines are having on those who work with them.

Carol Wilson