Copyright 2000 The Washington Post
The Washington
Post
June 9, 2000, Friday, Final Edition
SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A09
LENGTH: 268 words
HEADLINE:
House Votes to Block Work Safety Rules
BODY:
In a symbolic defeat for organized labor, the House voted
last night to block federal rules aimed at preventing some of the 1.8 million
workplace injuries that occur each year.
On an issue that has pitted
unions against business for a decade, the House voted 220 to 203 to stop the
government from issuing final ergonomics rules that would require 1.6 million
employers to take steps to prevent repetitive-stress injuries
to workers.
The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration has planned to issue the final rules by year's end.
President Clinton wants them to take effect and is virtually certain to veto
legislation that would prevent them from doing so.
Nonetheless, labor
officials opposed yesterday's vote, worried that the effort to block the rules
would prevail and give momentum to the other side. They also said the vote would
let Republicans from districts with strong union membership cast themselves as
pro-labor.
In addition, the battle came just two weeks after labor lost
its battle with business over the effort by Clinton and Republican leaders to
permanently grant normal trade status to China. Business won that fight as the
House approved the trading rights for China by 40 votes, and labor leaders vowed
retribution against some of those who opposed them.
The vote marked the
latest turn in the long-running fight over whether to require employers to hold
training sessions and take other steps to prevent on-the-job injuries. Since
taking control of Congress in 1995, Republicans have repeatedly approved
legislation aimed at delaying the regulations.
LOAD-DATE: June 09, 2000
