Immigrant workers face rising workplace
risks
BY NEAL SACHAROW
UCLA Today
How are immigrant workers faring on the job when it comes to their
safety and health?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, annual rates for
national and state workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities
are at an all-time low and have been dropping for the past several
years. But the official data also show rising rates for Hispanic
workers.
This is especially true for recent immigrants who made up half
of the nation’s new wage earners over the past decade and
work in low-skilled, often hazardous, low-paying jobs, said participants
at a recent policy forum on immigrant worker occupational safety
and health held in Hershey Hall. The event marked the 25th anniversary
of the UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program (LOSH).
“California has the most immigrant workers of any state,
and we depend on them to provide the services and products we take
for granted,” said Marianne Brown, program director. “Now
is the time to reduce the daily risks these workers face from jobs
requiring repetitive motion, heavy lifting and exposure to toxic
chemicals.”
Keynote speaker California State Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West
Hollywood), who serves as chair of the Assembly Committee on Labor
and Employment, addressed the problems of enforcing labor laws covering
health and safety standards, workers’ compensation, and wage
and hour violations in the “underground economy,” such
as garment manufacturing and housekeeping.
“In these industries, we found that the chances of an unannounced
worksite inspection by an enforcement agency was once in anywhere
from 60 to 105 years,” he said. “The employers therefore
have little to fear from the law because immigrant workers are often
afraid to file complaints.” Koretz has authored several bills
to strengthen enforcement and protect immigrant workers’ rights.
Participants questioned why enforcement was not jointly conducted
by all the agencies authorized to enforce labor laws. Len Welsh,
chief of the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration,
replied that efforts were under way to accomplish that.
“These issues will continue to be a prime focus for LOSH
until they are resolved,” Brown said. |
