Quote of the day
"Sick people, elderly people cannot jump through these ropes."
Harry Williams, participant in a rally in Tennessee for Cold War-era workers who are claiming benefits under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, which they say is not user-friendly
Go to the full story in WBIR-TV (Knoxville, Tenn.)
We hope you have enjoyed receiving your twice monthly edition of Workers’ Comp Executive and your daily news digests in your email. Starting next week WCE and the news digests will not be published for two weeks, so our editors can take some much needed vacation. We will not be publishing from July 4 through July 20th. We will resume publishing on July 21.
New York Lawmakers Approve Ground Zero Workers Bill
The New York Legislature passes a bill that will make hundreds of public service workers involved in the nine-month, post-Sept. 11 cleanup at the World Trade Center site eligible for state disability payments. The measure also extends the deadline for other such workers to register for state workers’ compensation for potential future illnesses or disability linked to their work at the site. By Anthony DePalma, New York Times [may require registration] Go to the Full Story…
Sunshine State Judge Not Reappointed Amid Bias Allegations
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist declines to re-appoint a Jacksonville workers’ compensation judge who handled about 1,400 cases last year and had been accused of bias in favor of employers. A report last year by the chief of Florida’s Division of Administrative Hearings did not recommend that the governor remove the judge, but concluded that his actions created the appearance of prejudice against workers. By Paul Pinkham, Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville) [with photo] Go to the Full Story…
Opinion: Omission, Commission … End Result Is the Same
A recent audit that criticizes the Hernando County, Fla., workers’ compensation program for failing to subject the contract to a competitive bidding process every time it came up for renewal is another example of how errors of omission can be just as costly to taxpayers as errors of commission. St. Petersburg Times
Go to the Full Story…
Nuke Weapons Workers Rally in Volunteer State for Workers’ Comp
Former nuclear weapons facilities workers, who claim that they became ill due to exposure to hazardous and radioactive materials during their Cold War employment, rally in Oak Ridge, Tenn. to demand benefits under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program. The Labor Dept. responds that more than 41,000 people have received more than $3.8 billion in compensation and medical benefits since it took over responsibility for such claims in 2004.
Go to the full story by Stoney Sharp, WBIR-TV (Knoxville) [with video] Go to the full story by AP via Seattle Times
Area 51 Workers Eligible for Compensation, Says Official
Former Department of Energy employees and contractors who worked at the top secret Area 51 base in Nevada may seek benefits under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program, according to Shelby Hallmark, director of the Labor Dept.’s Office of Workers’ Compensation. While the Energy Department controlled Area 51 for much of its history, secret development of military aircraft and weaponry at the site was performed by Defense Department contractors who are not covered by the program, says a test site spokesman. By Steve Tetreault, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Go to the Full Story…
Will BrickStreet Thrive in New Competitive Market?
West Virginia’s workers’ compensation system is set to open to private competition in a few days, and that means a reorganized and profitable BrickStreet Mutual no longer will be the only game in town. Some argue that despite the two-year liberation from the yoke of the state’s abysmal workers’ compensation system, the Mountain State still faces an uphill climb to make the state business-friendly. By Walt Williams, State Journal (Charleston)
Go to the Full Story…
Mold Hearing Delayed at Community College in Hudson Valley
A legislative hearing on mold concerns at a New York community college is postponed at the last minute after a county attorney announces a new investigation intended “to protect the county,” angering those who had attended to voice their concerns. Several employees have filed workers’ compensation claims and/or have been relocated from the building in question. By Ben Rubin, Journal News
Go to the Full Story…
New York Insurance Association Responds to CRM Statement
The president of New York Insurance Association Inc. responds to an “inaccurate” statement by a Compensation Risk Management LLC spokesman in a recent Albany Times-Union article, that that “across-the-board rate cuts at commercial insurers were a factor in the [self-insured group] trusts’ financial troubles.” “These rate cuts and companies shifting to coverage with commercial insurers have nothing to do with a trust’s financial condition,” writes Ellen Melchionni. Albany Times-Union
Go to the Full Story…
Korea Court Rules for Illegal Worker Injured Fleeing Raid
A Korea court grants workers’ compensation to a Chinese illegal worker who became disabled after he fell from a building in 2006 during an attempt to escape from a raid by immigration police. The decision overrules a lower court that rejected the worker’s request for medical fee coverage. By Park Si-soo, Korea Times
Go to the Full Story…