Henshaw in the Senate Hot Seat

Feb. 27, 2002
Members of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Employment, Safety and Training Subcommittee are holding a hearing today to determine if OSHA is failing to adequately protect the safety and health of immigrant and low-wage workers.

Members of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Employment, Safety and Training Subcommittee will question the head of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the president of the United Farm Workers (UFW) and others at 2 p.m. today about whether OSHA is failing to adequately protect the safety and health of immigrant and low-wage workers.

OSHA Administrator John Henshaw and UFW President Arturo Rodriguez appearance before the committee comes just less than one week after Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao unveiled her plan to improve conditions for immigrant and low-wage workers.

When Chao announced the plan on Feb. 21, she said, "The Labor Department is committed to protecting the well being of the over 14.5 million Hispanic workers in our country. Further, we want to help Hispanic workers climb the ladder of success and be an integral part of the American workforce."

The Senate hearing was scheduled long before Chao unveiled her plan, and some critics claim that Chao''s announcement was timed to blunt criticism of her department''s seeming lack of response to the safety issues of low wage and immigrant workers.

Omar Henriquez, who is the coordinator of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health''s Immigrant and Youth Program, will be one of the witnesses. Other witnesses include: Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Ill.); Rosemary Sokas, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; You Di Liao, a garment industry worker; Tom Maier, reporter, Newsday; and Bobby Jackson, National Safety Council.

by Sandy Smith ([email protected])

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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