March 2, 2011 U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative: We, the undersigned civil rights and labor organizations, urge you to stand up for America’s workers by supporting strong enforcement of our nation’s labor laws. We support President Obama’s fiscal year (FY) 2012 budget request to bolster the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) ability to uphold all workers’ rights to fair wages and a safe and healthy workplace. Congress should make strong investments in the following worker protection programs: Wage and Hour Division (WHD). WHD is responsible for enforcing laws that guarantee workers fair compensation, overtime, and flexibility for family and personal caregiving. These funds will help the WHD crack down on the misclassification of workers as independent contractors and work with community-based organizations to bring repeat violators to light. We support the president’s request for $240,037,000 for the WHD in FY 2012. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Federal Enforcement. These funds will improve OSHA’s ability to inspect high-risk workplaces, respond quickly to emerging problem industries, and reach vulnerable workers through customized outreach campaigns. We support the president’s request for $216,365,000 for OSHA Federal Enforcement in FY 2012. Policies to rebuild a strong economy must focus on the quantity and quality of jobs. In today’s fiercely competitive labor market, unscrupulous employers may be tempted to cut corners on everything from overtime pay to worker safety measures, assuming that workers are too desperate for work to complain about labor law violations. Without a vigilant and nimble Department of Labor, such employers are more likely to violate the law, thereby lowering wages and working conditions for all workers. The DOL has made excellent progress in reshaping its priorities. Specifically, the WHD has improved the effectiveness and efficiency of its enforcement efforts. Now is not the time to cut programs that are essential to our country’s economic recovery. Fulfilling the president’s funding requests for FY 2012 is vital to helping the DOL carry out its mission. At this critical juncture, Congress cannot turn its back on America’s workers. Sincerely, ASPIRA Cuban American National Council, Inc. (CNC) Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Hispanic Federation Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
National Association of Hispanic Federal Executives (NAHFE) National Association of Hispanic Publications, Inc. (NAHP) National Conference of Puerto Rican Women, Inc. (NACOPRW) National Council of La Raza (NCLR) National Hispana Leadership Institute (NHLI) National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts (NHFA) National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP) National Puerto Rican Coalition, Inc. (NPRC) SER-Jobs for Progress National, Inc. Service Employees International Union (SEIU) United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI)