This was interesting. Yesterday, the AFL-CIO and UFCW issued a joint press release about a victory in a long battle: the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will finally require–drumroll, please-employers to pay for safety-related materials like goggles, fire-resistant clothing, face shields, hard hats and other safety equipment. Only in America–or other societies where workers lives are deemed expendable–would you have to fight over this basic idea. Makes you shake your head.

    But, as an aside to the important issue here, it’s just a tiny bit interesting that the AFL-CIO and the UFCW (a member of the Change To Win federation) would issue a joint release. I think this is a good thing: both federations do good things and both federations also don’t have the answer to the challenges facing unorganized workers (because the answer is complicated)–but it makes sense to work together where possible. Here’s an excerpt from the release:

(Washington, Nov. 14) – – The AFL-CIO and UFCW today welcomed OSHA’s announcement that the agency will finally issue the rule requiring employers to pay for personal protective safety equipment – a measure that will prevent tens of thousands of workplace injuries every year. 

"It is unfortunate that nine years have passed since the rule was proposed, and that it took a lawsuit by the unions and Congressional intervention before the Bush Administration would act," said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.  "America’s working men and women deserve the proper equipment to keep them safe on the job, each and every day, and we will thoroughly review this rule to make sure it protects them."

"Workers have spoken out for this rule and now Congress and the courts have forced the DOL to act.  Our members will be watching to see this rule is enforced in every workplace," said Joseph Hansen, UFCW International President.  "Workers should no longer be required to dip into their own pocket to keep themselves safe from harm at work."

    And, so, its pouring in NYC today and yours truly is off with his umbrella to the Writers Guild picket line. If you didn’t circulate yesterday’s list of media CEOs to call, you can still do it. I hear from some frienAAbds that when the call, the people on the other end report getting calls from people who got the info off some "weird website." If we have to be weird to win, so be it.