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House Members Urge Administration to Do More

On May 25, a bipartisan group of members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Michael Leavitt and Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Elaine Chao a letter expressing their concern that the departments were not doing enough to protect health care workers and first responders in the event of pandemic flu.

Noting the critical role that health care workers and first responders will play in responding to a pandemic flu, the letter highlighted that “preparation thus far by both Departments fails to properly account for the risks of infection and implement a plan to minimize them.”
In particular, the letter noted that the HHS Pandemic Influenza Plan released in November 2005 recommends that employers implement the use of surgical masks for personal respiratory protection, contradicting recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that, at a minimum, N-95 respirators be used by health care workers and first responders.

The letter also urged the DOL to exercise its authority and responsibility to protect the health of workers at risk of occupational exposure to pandemic flu.

At AFSCME’s request, the letter to Leavitt and Chao was organized by Reps. Lois Capps (D-Calif.) and Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio), co-chairs of the House Nursing Caucus. They collected the signatures of 88 House members. To read the letter and see the list of signers, go to www.afscme.org and click on “Legislative Action.”

For more information on AFSCME’s fight to win worker protections against pandemic flu, see UNA Action, Spring 2006.

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