New bill would ensure PPE and create taskforce for workplace safety for Federal workers

August 3, 2020

U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led a group of six senators in introducing the Federal Labor-Management COVID Partnership Act, a bill that would keep federal workers safe during public health emergencies, including the current COVID-19 pandemic, by creating formal labor-management task forces at both the Executive Branch and agency level.

The task forces would be responsible for reviewing current telework, leave, cleaning and training policies, supplying policy recommendations and giving federal workers an avenue to provide input as the Executive Branch responds to the coronavirus and any future crisis.

To address the health and safety of federal workers, the legislation establishes a government-wide directive for agencies to consult and collaborate with employees and their unions to develop and implement policies that address the issues impacting them due to the pandemic. This includes the role of labor organization participation, telework, leave and safety, cleaning and disinfectants, preparedness acquisition and distribution of personal protective equipment and training.

The bill has been endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers.

“As the largest union representing federal and D.C. government employees, the American Federation of Government Employees strongly supports Sen. Schatz’s legislation to ensure that agencies uphold their legal obligation to negotiate with employee representatives over policies and proposals that directly impact the health and safety of workers and their families. Some agencies under this current administration have refused to negotiate with the union over the coronavirus or other workplace matters, making the need for this legislation all the more critical,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley.

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

ON DEMAND: DevSecOps creates an environment of shared responsibility for security, where AppSec and development teams become more collaborative. With the right training and tools, developers can become more hands-on with security and, with that upskilling, stand out among their peers... however, they need the security specialists on-side, factoring them into securing code from the start and championing this mindset across the company.

The insider threat—consisting of scores of different types of crimes and incidents—is a scourge even during the best of times. But the chaos, instability and desperation that characterize crises also catalyze both intentional and unwitting insider attacks. Learn how your workers, contractors, volunteers and partners are exploiting the dislocation caused by today's climate of Coronavirus, unemployment, disinformation and social unrest.

Security Magazine

2020 September

This month in Security magazine, we bring you our 2020 Most Influential People in Security annual report, where we highlight 22 industry leaders, their path to security, careers, goals and guidance for future security professionals. Industry experts discuss the evolution of ransomware, houses of worship security, cybersecurity standards, security careers in investigations and the unifying power of security. Diane Ritchey, past Editor-in-Chief, says goodbye and thank you to our readers.

View More Create Account

New bill would ensure PPE and create taskforce for workplace safety for Federal workers

Related Articles

Report Abusive Comment