Quote of the day
“Right now retired coal miners’ health care pensions and black lung benefits are on the chopping block again.”
Sen. Joe Manchin
Iowa governor dropped from former workers’ comp commissioner’s lawsuit
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has been dropped from a lawsuit filed by the state’s former workers compensation commissioner, alleging former Gov. Terry Branstad and others in his administration singled out the commissioner for a pay cut because of his political party or sexual orientation. Miami Herald
Labor official sees rise in black lung
The president of the United Mine Workers of America, says black lung and coal field clinics throughout the U.S. have seen more reported cases of black lung disease. According to a 2018 report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety, one in 10 coalminers who have worked in the mines for at least 25 years have black lung, 10 percent higher than the previous NIOSH report. The Hill (Washington, D.C.)
Audit finds safety hazards at mail processing facilities
An audit by the Inspector General finds that Postal Service mail processing facilities fail to consistently meet prescribed building safety, maintenance, or security standards. Identified problems include maintenance, including severely damaged roofing, ceilings, and infrastructure, rodent problems and unsanitary bathrooms, unsecure vehicles, non-functioning security cameras, and unsecure perimeter fences. FEDWeek
Florida construction contractor accused of workers’ comp fraud
The 50-year-old owner of a Florida construction company was arrested Sunday in a mutlimillion-dollar workers’ compensation fraud scheme. Investigators say the defendant manipulated bank records in an attempt to conceal her true payroll, which was 145 times bigger than she declared, in order to get a workers’ compensation policy. News4Jax (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Lawsuit claims employee lost job over workers’ compensation
A former employee of the city of Collinsville, Illinois, who worked in the water department as a waterline serviceman, has alleged in a lawsuit he was terminated after taking workers’ compensation benefits for an injury. Madison – St. Clair Record