Labor lobbies Congress in defense of ergonomics rule

Labor groups, led by the AFL-CIO, Friday launched a "full- scale" lobbying campaign to convince Congress not to erase a Clinton administration regulation requiring employers to add steps to prevent their workers' repetitive-stress injuries.

"This is the biggest health and job safety issue in the country," said Peg Seminario, director of AFL-CIO's safety and health department. The campaign will target members in both houses through meetings, phone calls, e-mails and work site visits, according to Bill Samuel, director of AFL-CIO's legislation department.

The so- called ergonomics regulations became law just prior to President Clinton's departure, and have come under attack by business groups and some Republican members who cite burdensome costs and liability issues.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Thursday issued an "action call," asking members to contact senators and ask them to back killing the rule. The chamber also plans to bring small business owners to lobby on Capitol Hill Monday and Tuesday.

A bill to use the Congressional Review Act to undo the regulation is expected to be introduced in the Senate as soon as this week. The previously untried CRA is highly privileged--no amendments, no committee hearings, no markup--and goes straight to the floor with just 10 hours of debate before a vote.

"It's a very rare situation indeed," Samuels said. He predicted the vote would be "very close," with some Republicans having supported ergonomics issues during votes in the 106th Congress, and with the 50-50 split in the Senate.

President Bush would have to sign off on the CRA if it passes both houses, which must happen by mid-summer. The administration has not yet stated its position on the regulation, but Samuels said it "will be an interesting test of their so-called compassionate conservativism."

If the administration opposes the measure, AFL-CIO would prefer that it use ordinary administrative steps to review and modify the regulation rather than kill it through a CRA vote, officials said.