labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Michigan seems poised to pass a smoking ban that would affect almost all employers, including restaurants and bars, in the next legislative session. Both the state house and senate passed bills protecting employees from second-hand smoke in the workplace in 2008. However, the two bills had significant differences and the legislature was unable to resolve those differences before they adjourned for the summer in late May.

Bills to ban smoking in restaurants and bars were introduced in 2007 in both the Michigan House and Senate. In each case, the bills generated a lot of debate and were sent into the 2008 legislative session.

In the spring of 2008, (more…)

Employers in Michigan will soon have an infusion of highly-skilled workers thanks to more than $5.8 million in worker training grants to 2 community colleges and a city development agency.

The Detroit Workforce Development Department will use a grant of $1,850,000 to train workers in the hospitality and retail industries.

A grant of $2 million goes to the St. Clair County Community College to train workers in transportation, distribution and logistics. The school is located in Port Huron, a small city on the US/Canada border that features the Blue Water Bridge.

An Auburn Hills community college is the third winner. Workers for the nanotechnology industry will train at Oakland Community College under a $1,960,497 grant. The school in southeast Michigan is best known for its participation in the Michigan No Worker Left Behind program of job training for the unemployed.

The President’s Community Based Job Training Grants Initiative awards grants to community colleges and training facilities to help workers compete for jobs in high-growth industries. The program was established in 2005 and awarded grants to 72 institutions. In 2006, the second round awarded 70 grants.

In 2008, according to a recent announcement by the U. S. Department of Labor , 69 community colleges across America were granted $125 million under this program.

These funds will assist workers in 36 states, including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao said, “Community colleges are in a unique position to prepare local workers for careers in high-growth industries. The $125 million awarded today will expand enrollment in education and training programs and provide more workers with the skills they need to succeed.”

The focus of the Community-Based Job Training Grants is to provide community colleges with programs to train people in areas where industries need workers with a particular set of skills. For example, a grant for training in the energy industry may be awarded to a community college in New Mexico near a cluster of nuclear power plants that require more skilled workers.

As a result of factors such as globalization, technology, innovation and an aging workforce, many industries are in dire need of skilled employees. Industries across the county, including advanced manufacturing and construction are seeking skilled employees. Regional industries, too, are in need of qualified workers. For example, Crescent City, California’s hospitality industry needs skilled workers.

In Michigan and throughout the United States, homicide is a major cause of workplace fatalities. The Bureau of Statistics reports that over 200 murders occurred on the job in the early 1990s. In 2006, that number had decreased to 94 murders, but homicides are still a large component of workplace violence.

Workplace violence is defined by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) as ranging from threats to physical abuse and homicide. These attacks can occur on the premises of the workplace, or away from the job. Every year, over 2 million Americans are victims of workplace violence.

Certain occupations are particularly susceptible to violence on the job. Perhaps the most obvious are persons who work in high crime areas and who work alone or in small groups late at night. Less obvious are nurses and other healthcare personnel. Statistics, in fact, show that nurses are assaulted on the job as often as police officers. The majority of incidents occur in the hospital, but some occur when nurses do home visits.

Any employee who deals extensively with the public is at an increased risk of workplace violence. Delivery personnel, probation officers, social workers, postal carriers and utility workers are just a few of the occupations exposed to increased risk.

OSHA provides employers with several ideas on how to prevent violence on the job. One suggestion is to limit access to the workplace by issuing I.D. badges and electronic keys to all workers. Guards can also be placed at strategic positions to limit access.

In addition, alarm systems, video surveillance and plenty of lighting should be installed. Workers can be issued hand-held alarms and cell-phones as well. All businesses should implement antiviolence programs and provide training for workers on how to prevent and how to react to violent incidents.

To assist in training workers, employers can obtain downloads and videos on preventing workplace violence from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

OSHA Michigan Worker Safety

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommends several steps to help employers and employees in Michigan–and in all other states–protect themselves against violence in the workplace. These steps can also help prevent threats and acts of violence, which are a major concern for OSHA.

Employers should establish safety programs that include antiviolence procedures. These procedures should include training for employees to understand what constitutes threats of violence and how to report the incidents. Workers should practice these procedures and know how to recognize, avoid and even diffuse potentially violent situations.

Security and maintenance issues can pose a threat to the workplace. A broken lock on a secure door, a stolen I. D. badge, or a broken window can all be threats to security. These problems should be reported immediately–and remedied immediately.

Odd behavior of coworkers can sometimes warn employees of problems to come. Signals of a tendency toward violence can include verbal abuse, threats and minor assaults. Sometimes these situations don’t seem necessarily dangerous, but they should still be reported. Noting a particular worker’s suspicious behavior early can prevent problems later, so all incidents should be reported.

Some simple steps can be taken by employees to help prevent violence in the workplace. Workers who deal with the public, or work out in the community should be careful not to carry a lot of cash, or wear expensive items. Also, employees should never enter a new location or scenario alone, especially at night.

When violence occurs, the victim should receive medical attention. Also, the police need to be informed and the victim advised of his or her right to press charges against the perpetrator. Employers should discuss the incident with all of the staff to help ease concerns and to help prevent future attacks. Counseling and stress debriefing should also be offered to all workers.

OSHA’s General Duty Clause demands that employers provide a safe and healthy workplace, and requires them to keep a record of every violent incident by type. Failure to comply with OSHA regulations will open employers to severe penalties.

The U.S. Department of Labor recently presented awards to outstanding worker training programs throughout the country in five key areas.  These categories include:

• Helping young people who are out of school
• Collaborating with industry to create a workforce investment program
• Leveraging partnerships between employers, educators and economic development agencies
• Creating a highly-trained 21^st century workforce
• Training workers with special needs

This year’s big winners include groups from Connecticut, Kentucky, Michigan, Virginia and Wisconsin. Runners-up for the awards include agencies and companies from Michigan, Texas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oregon, Washington, New York, Louisiana and Minnesota.

The Recognition of Excellence awards go to the top talent development programs nationwide. This week, Assistant Secretary of Labor Emily Stover DeRocco presented the awards during the Workforce Innovations Conference. Stover DeRocco heads the department’s division of Employment and Training. This is the fourth consecutive year the awards have been used to recognize outstanding training programs in state and local government, private business, education and economic development programs. Each award represents a collaboration between two or more of those key players.

“Our honorees have shown that they are innovative leaders in providing workers with the opportunities and tools to help them compete in today’s global economy,” said DeRocco. “Their outstanding work serves as a model for others to learn from and apply to their own regional economic and talent development strategies.”

The first category is “Educating America’s 21st Century Workforce”, recognizing the top program for providing innovative and effective strategies to prepare workers for jobs requiring better skills. The winner is the Alpena Community College of Alpena, Michigan. Honorable Mentions in this category include the Junior College District of Kansas City, Missouri and the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Beaverton, Oregon.

The award for “Building an Industry/Business-Driven Workforce Investment System” goes to the program that best responds to an industry need while preparing workers for continued job growth.  This award goes to Capital Workforce Partners, of Hartford Connecticut. Honorable mentions in this category include the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth’s Bureau of Workforce Programs statewide. An Honorable Mention also went to the Gulf Coast Workforce Board: the WorkSource in the Gulf Coast Region of Texas.

The third category recognizes the value of collaborations between employers, educators and economic development leaders. The e3 Partnership award goes to Eastern Kentucky C.E. P. Inc. of Hazard, Kentucky. The runner up in this category is the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Gulfport, Mississippi.

The fourth category is “Recognizing the Demographics of the Workforce”. This award highlights agencies or organizations that target workers with special needs. Winners in this category provide services to workers with limited English skills, to migrant farm workers, and those who are homeless as well as others. The top award in this category goes to Experience Works, Inc. of Arlington Virginia. Honorable mentions go to the Shoreline Community College in Shoreline Washington and the Center for Employment Opportunities in New York, N.Y. 

The final category is “Serving Out-of-School Youth”. Winners in this category demonstrate innovative techniques in collaborating with educators, businesses, industry and other essential partners to train, educate and hire young people who are out of school. The award goes to Workforce Connections, Inc. of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Other notable programs in this category include the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the River Paris WIA Program in Convent, Louisiana.

All of the awards were presented at a gala ceremony during the Workforce Innovations Conference, an annual event that provides an opportunity for networking on workforce issues between stakeholders in the public and private sectors. 

As the population ages, healthcare is the single fastest-growing field in the U.S. Eight of the 20 fastest-growing jobs are in the healthcare industry. About 13.1 million workers are currently employed in the field…and that number is only expected to grow. In addition, the healthcare industry currently provides jobs for about half a million self-employed individuals.

About 19% of the new jobs created by 2014 will be in the healthcare field, according to experts at the U.S. Department of Labor. That’s why federal grants for workers in Alaska, Kansas, Mississippi, New York, Michigan and Connecticut are good news.

“The healthcare industry is predicted to grow at a rate of 27% between 2002 and 2012, adding 3.5 million new jobs,” according to Emily Stover DeRocco, Assistant U.S. Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training. 

Many of the jobs in this fast-growing field are for technicians and healthcare providers with just 1 to 2 years of training after high school. It’s true that the job market for highly-trained doctors and nurses is increasing rapidly…but so are healthcare jobs that require much less training.

As baby boomers age, there will be increased demand in this field, especially for long-term care for seniors and the chronically ill.

“Our aging population is placing great demands on our health care system. Long-term care professionals, in particular, are in great need and these grants will help our nation’s workers acquire the skills to fill this need and develop promising careers in this field,” said Secretary Elaine Chao said in announcing these grants.

These highly-coveted grants were awarded to just 6 of the 77 organizations that competed. Each award is for about $500,000, to train workers for careers in long-term care.

Training is a boon for American workers. While unemployment hovers around 5% nationwide, highly-trained workers have unemployment rates of just 1.9% throughout the country as a whole.

That’s why Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao recently announced an award of $6 million to a handful of organizations that prepare workers for careers in long-term care.

The awards support a number of activities at different sites. These include:

• Developing a certified nursing assistant (CNA) track at a popular college
• Delivering on-the-job training in the healthcare field
• Preparing community college students to advance “up the nursing career ladder”
• Implementing both credential and certification programs in the industry
• Implementing a direct care worker career pathway

According to sources at the U.S. Department of Labor, these programs and others will provide talent development solutions that are industry-driven. Even more important, the programs will address the challenges looming in the long-term care sector, where qualified employees are increasingly in demand, and hard to find.

These grants totaling almost $3 million will help develop regional efforts to create pools of qualified workers that the long-term care industry can draw upon.

“America’s aging population is creating demand for the professional development of highly skilled long-term care providers,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco. “Today’s awards will allow grantees to combine the strengths of public and private sector partners implementing education programs, and will create a pipeline of workers to meet the needs of the long-term care industry.”

Among the elite programs capturing awards in this program are the prestigious program at the Capital Workforce Partners of North Central Connecticut. Another coveted grant went to the Mississippi Hospital Association Health Research & Educational Foundation. The University of Alaska in Anchorage was also the recipient of a grant.

Additional grants were awarded to the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments. The New England states received a grant in the form of an award to the Workforce Investment Boards of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties in New York. The final award went to Neosho Community College in Eastern Kansas.

All of these organizations will be increasing promising talent development practices and tools that are already in place to train healthcare workers for the future.