Quote of the day
“… I think that’s because of the fast-food industry, they really think of these workers as expendable.”
Deborah Berkowitz, worker health and safety program director, nonprofit National Employment Law Project
Texas company sentenced in North Dakota oilfield death
A Houston company has been found guilty and ordered to pay $2.1 million in fines and restitution in the 2014 death of an Alabama man who died in an explosion while working in a North Dakota oil patch. Authorities say he was welding inside a tank that had not been properly cleaned and vented. The welding equipment ignited vapors, causing an explosion. KXNet (Bismarck, N.D.) [with video]
Federal court denies class certification in action alleging rate regulation violations
The Southern District of New York has denied class certification to plaintiffs who were seeking to collectively sue a group of insurers over purported regulatory approval violations regarding workers’ compensation policies, after concluding they failed to establish that a class action was the superior method of litigation. National Law Review
Case of subcontractor who alleged spinal fractures heading to trial
A lawsuit in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania that alleged that a flooring company owner’s negligence in handling a floating stair system caused a construction worker’s severe bodily injuries is heading to trial later this year. The defendant allegedly failed to warn the plaintiff and other workers of the disabled floating stair system, restrict access to it or comply with other federal safety regulations. Pennsylvania Record
Fast-food workers face real threats of violence
Fast-food workers face a number of factors linked with the risk of violence. They include direct contact with the public, exchange of money, working alone or in small numbers, working late at night or during early morning hours. Amid the fight for higher wages and protections against abuse, the threat of violence to employees remains overlooked by customers and corporations alike. Grub Street