Current Events > Changes to Labor Dept Looking to Deregulate Project 2025 Strikes Again

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OSHA in the crosshairs
https://apnews.com/article/job-corps-centers-lawsuit-labor-department-a9acc1464ad180a066317fd086865464
https://apnews.com/article/labor-department-deregulation-worker-safety-wages-223309692fecb3721ef377154e7689ed

Trumps Labor Department proposes more than 60 rule changes in a push to deregulate workplaces
The U.S. Department of Labor is aiming to rewrite or repeal more than 60 obsolete workplace regulations, ranging from minimum wage requirements for home health care workers and people with disabilities to standards governing exposure to harmful substances.
If approved, the wide-ranging changes unveiled this month also would affect working conditions at constructions sites and in mines, and limit the governments ability to penalize employers if workers are injured or killed while engaging in inherently risky activities such as movie stunts or animal training.
The Labor Department says the goal is to reduce costly, burdensome rules imposed under previous administrations, and to deliver on President Donald Trumps commitment to restore American prosperity through deregulation.
The Department of Labor is proud to lead the way by eliminating unnecessary regulations that stifle growth and limit opportunity, Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said in a statement, which boasted the most ambitious proposal to slash red tape of any department across the federal government.
Critics say the proposals would put workers at greater risk of harm, with women and members of minority groups bearing a disproportionate impact.
People are at very great risk of dying on the job already, Rebecca Reindel, the AFL-CIO unions occupational safety and health director, said. This is something that is only going to make the problem worse.

The proposed changes have several stages to get through before they can take effect, including a public comment period for each one.
Heres a look at some of the rollbacks under consideration:

No minimum wage for home health care workers
Home health care workers help elderly or medically fragile people by preparing meals, administering medications, assisting with toilet use, accompanying clients to doctor appointments and performing other tasks. Under one of the Labor Departments proposals, an estimated 3.7 million workers employed by home care agencies could be paid below the federal minimum wage currently $7.25 per hour and made ineligible for overtime pay if they arent covered by corresponding state laws.

Protections for migrant farm workers
The department is also proposing to reverse a 2024 rule that protected migrant farmworkers from retaliation for activities such as filing a complaint, testifying or participating in an investigation, hearing or proceeding.

Adequate lighting for construction spaces
OSHA said if employers fail to correct lighting deficiencies at construction worksites, the agency can issue citations under its general duty clause. The clause requires employers to provide a place of employment free from recognized hazards which are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.

Mine safety
Several proposals could impact safety procedures for mines. For example, employers have to submit plans for ventilation and preventing roof collapses in coal mines for review by the Labor Departments Mine Safety and Health Administration. Currently, MSHA district managers can require mine operators to take additional steps to improve those plans.

Limiting OSHAs reach
The general duty clause allows OSHA to punish employers for unsafe working conditions when theres no specific standard in place to cover a situation.
An OSHA proposal would exclude the agency from applying the clause to prohibit, restrict or penalize employers for inherently risky professional activities that are intrinsic to professional, athletic, or entertainment occupations.
A preliminary analysis identified athletes, actors, dancers, musicians, other entertainers and journalists as among the types of workers the limitation would apply to.

Imagine thinking the GOP gives a fuck about workers and believing they represent the common working person. Imagine.

Seriously, I don't understand how any working class person thinks Republicans give a fuck about them when they always do bullshit like this.

Bass posted...

Imagine thinking the GOP gives a fuck about workers and believing they represent the common working person. Imagine.

Seriously, I don't understand how any working class person thinks Republicans give a fuck about them when they always do bullshit like this.

Unfortunately, tons of workers have been convinced that OSHA is the worst thing ever, so they'll absolutely feel represented.

This is going to hurt a lot of those carpenters and manual 'I DUN NEED SCHOOL I JUST NEED SKILL' dipshits the most.

"Small government" has always meant "We want child slaves, and the freedom to dump toxic waste in school playgrounds"

Bass posted...

Imagine thinking the GOP gives a fuck about workers and believing they represent the common working person. Imagine.

Seriously, I don't understand how any working class person thinks Republicans give a fuck about them when they always do bullshit like this.

The media has done a great job convincing them of that.

Not understanding the healthcare workers I assumed most were in unions, they set/bargain the rates

HylianFox posted...

"Small government" has always meant "We want child slaves, and the freedom to dump toxic waste in school playgrounds"

A government so small that it cant protect you from us.

TheLiarParadox posted...

Unfortunately, tons of workers have been convinced that OSHA is the worst thing ever, so they'll absolutely feel represented.

People are so fucking stupid....

So, one of the things I do in my law practice is getting individuals with disabilities home health care services provided by the state through MCOs. These services allow people to live safely in their homes instead of in much less desirable and more restrictive settings. Related to this, I have spent a lot of my career advocating for people who provide these services to get better wages, so there is a stable workforce to provide this care. Otherwise, the system does not work, and very vulnerable people are put at enormous risk.

I have obviously had my eye on this for a long time, and this proposed change is just another one by this administration that will be absolutely devastating for some of Americas most vulnerable people. It is almost impossible to staff home health care as it is. No minimum wage will mean lots of places where there is no care for people that need it to live.

How anyone could vote for this corrupt disaster of an administration multiple times remains a mystery, even after 50 years of GOP propaganda. Real, extremely vulnerable people are going to be hurting because a huge number of voters in this country cant muster one minute of critical thought in their entire lives.

name_unknown posted...

Not understanding the healthcare workers I assumed most were in unions, they set/bargain the rates

Not how it works in home healthcare. Most work for home health care agencies that are contracted through an MCO/insurance company. It is more complicated than this, but they are much closer to subcontractors than a unionized group. It is usually provided as part of a Medicaid program.

In some states, family members also have a pathway to become home health care providers and are paid to care for their loved one under some programs.

Westernwolf4 posted...

So, one of the things I do in my law practice is getting individuals with disabilities home health care services provided by the state through MCOs. These services allow people to live safely in their homes instead of in much less desirable and more restrictive settings. Related to this, I have spent a lot of my career advocating for people who provide these services to get better wages, so there is a stable workforce to provide this care. Otherwise, the system does not work, and very vulnerable people are put at enormous risk.

I have obviously had my eye on this for a long time, and this proposed change is just another one by this administration that will be absolutely devastating for some of Americas most vulnerable people. It is almost impossible to staff home health care as it is. No minimum wage will mean lots of places where there is no care for people that need it to live.

How anyone could vote for this corrupt disaster of an administration multiple times remains a mystery, even after 50 years of GOP propaganda. Real, extremely vulnerable people are going to be hurting because a huge number of voters in this country cant muster one minute of critical thought in their entire lives.

All by design. They don't want disabled people taken care of. They want them to suffer and die.

I have never been more revolted in my life than I am with the state of this country right now.

Deyestus posted...

All by design. They don't want disabled people taken care of. They want them to suffer and die.

I have never been more revolted in my life than I am with the state of this country right now.

You are absolutely correct. Because I have spent the last 17 years as a disability rights attorney, you can imagine how distressing this is to me. And how completely disgusting I find this ridiculous administration and MAGA movement.

I have clients and people I know who are absolutely going to suffer and die because Trump is President. I worry about it every day.

Bass posted...

Seriously, I don't understand how any working class person thinks Republicans give a fuck about them when they always do bullshit like this.

The thing you have to understand is that they are astonishingly stupid.