Wisconsin Workers’ Comp News

The University of Wisconsin-Madison, the city of Madison and the state of Wisconsin have a long tradition within the labor movement, prompting questions about the past, present and future of work across the state. At a university level, the Teaching Assistants’ Association is credited as the first graduate student worker union in the country — ever. In Wisconsin, worker advocacy shaped other national and state laws relating to both compensation and unemployment. Moreover, we’ve seen how the dismantling of Wisconsin’s labor relations system through the 2011 passage of Act 10 profoundly affected hundreds of thousands of workers across the state.  Contemporary issues ranging from the recognition of a nurses union to graduate student workers’ rights at UW-Madison are deeply rooted in Gov. Scott Walker’s administration’s decision. Despite much of our staff being elementary-aged when Act 10 was implemented, our native Wisconsin staffers remember the impact of the controversial law on their teachers and schools, and this impact lingers today — over 10 years later.   Throughout our time on campus, as reporters, students and community members, we’ve seen how workers’ advocacy for safe, healthy working conditions and better compensation shaped our community. From petitions to unionize and unionizations of coffee shops and bakeries to fights for increases in minimum wages, working Wisconsinites are at the forefront of critical political, economic and social conversations across the state.  Furthermore, the effects of the COVID pandemic on our labor force and the way Wisconsinites work have been staggering. If anything, the global health crisis, aside from exposing deeply ingrained inequities, ineptitudes and injustices within our economic and labor system, has forever changed our community’s relationship with and perception of work. In February 2023, President Joe Biden even made the Madison area his first stop following his State of the Union address, sharing his “blue-collar blueprint” for the economy and labor force at a local labor union training center.  At The Daily Cardinal, we recognize the value of labor and work across this campus, city and state. With this special issue, we hope to center the voices of working Wisconsinites while exposing their struggles and highlighting needed areas of support. We invite our readers to explore the intrinsic role of labor in the Wisconsin economy and contemplate our community’s responsibility in our state’s labor force.  The Daily Cardinal Management Team Sophia Vento, Editor-In-Chief  Jessica Sonkin, Managing Editor  Photo courtesy of the University of Wisconsin-Madison archives

It is far past the time for America to realize unions are not detrimental to capitalism but instead crucial components of a functioning society.

Washington,DC (WorkersCompensation.com)  – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration today released the findings of monthly impact inspections at 25 U.S. mines in January and February 2023. MSHA conducts impact inspections at mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement due to factors that include poor compliance history; previous accidents, injuries, and illnesses; and other compliance concerns. The impact inspections resulted in the issuance of 374 violations and two safeguards, including 113 significant and substantial and 13 unwarrantable failure findings. An S&S violation is one that is reasonably likely to result in a reasonably serious injury or illness. Violations are designated as an unwarrantable failure when an inspector finds aggravated conduct that constitutes more than ordinary negligence. MSHA conducted inspections at mines in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. “These impact inspections uncovered serious violations, demonstrating that they remain an important enforcement tool to address safety and health issues at mines with poor compliance histories,” said Assistant Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Chris Williamson. “The Mine Safety and Health Administration is focused on identifying conditions that can lead to serious accidents given the number of fatalities the mining industry has experienced so far this year. We will continue to use every tool that Congress gave us to protect miners’ safety and health, and we ask the entire mining community to work with us to eliminate safety and health hazards that can cost miners their lives.” The details of two of the inspections are listed below: MSHA conducted an impact inspection on Feb. 1 at Frontier Coal Company, Belcher Branch Mine, in Wyoming County, West Virginia. In October 2022, the mine operator was issued two unwarrantable failure violations for failing to follow the MSHA-approved roof control plan and not conducting an adequate pre-shift examination; unwarrantable failure violations of the same mandatory standards were found during the impact inspection. MSHA inspectors issued 25 citations and 7 orders, finding unwarrantable failure violations for: Failure to comply with the roof control plan because the operator exceeded the maximum cut depth approved by MSHA at a coal face. Failure to conduct adequate workplace examinations, including an adequate examination of the continuous mining machine where MSHA found 11 of 28 water sprays were not working. Miners not wearing proximity detection system equipment—technology that can prevent pinning, crushing, and striking accidents—and a faulty machine mounted PDS component which prevented the system from functioning properly.  Failure to identify and clean up loose coal and coal dust in active travelways. When a mine operator takes an unauthorized deep cut, it puts miners at risk of potential roof and rib fall hazards. Conducting adequate workplace examinations is necessary to identify and eliminate hazards that can jeopardize miners’ safety and health. During the inspection, inspectors found that the operator did not install a ventilation curtain in the entry as required by the MSHA-approved ventilation plan. Ensuring proper ventilation in accordance with the plan, functioning water sprays, and cleaning up loose coal and coal dust significantly reduce potential explosion and respirable dust hazards. Specifically, ventilation curtains and water sprays are important tools to protect miners from overexposures to respirable coal dust and silica—the principal causes of life-threatening lung diseases plaguing far too many miners. On Jan. 31, an impact inspection was conducted at the Atalco Gramercy LLC, Gramercy Operation—a large alumina mine employing approximately 508 miners—located in St. James, Louisiana. MSHA inspectors issued 36 citations for violations of various mandatory health and safety standards and two orders removing miners who lacked adequate training. Specifically, the operator was cited for the following: Improper maintenance of electrical equipment, including unsafe electrical cables, missing or damaged inspection and cover plates, and potentially dangerous conditions not corrected before energizing equipment. Mobile equipment improperly parked on an incline without the brake engaged and the wheels chocked. Failing to take prompt appropriate action to correct caustic material spills that exposed miners to possible slips, trips, and falls after the hazards had been identified on workplace examinations. Mine operators must ensure that miners receive required training, and if miners do not receive that training, they must be immediately withdrawn from the mine because they are a hazard to themselves and others. It is important that operators properly maintain electrical equipment, correct potential electrical hazards, and encourage miners to focus on safety when doing work on potentially energized equipment or near electrical lines or wires. To date this year, three miners have died in accidents related to electrical hazards, and MSHA recently issued a safety alert to share important information and best practices. MSHA initiated impact inspections in April 2010 after an explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia claimed the lives of 29 miners. From March 2020 through December 2022, MSHA conducted targeted inspections at mines that warranted additional enforcement activity. MSHA resumed conducting regular monthly impact inspections in January 2023 and is publishing the results on its website. MSHA’s Monthly Impact Inspection List for January and February. Agency   Mine Safety & Health Administration Date   March 28, 2023 Release Number   23-520-NAT Media Contact: Victoria Godinez Phone Number   202-693-4667 Email   godinez.victoria.c@dol.gov Media Contact: Mandy McClure Phone Number   202-693-4675 Email   mcclure.amanda.c@dol.gov Share This

It is far past the time for America to realize unions are not detrimental to capitalism but instead crucial components of a functioning society.

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