A few hours after ProPublica and NPR issued the first in a series of reports about workers’ compensation “reforms” sweeping the country, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration coincidentally released a paper linking workplace injuries to income inequality.
The OSHA paper and ProPublica/NPR stories come to similar conclusions about how some injured workers have been affected by a decade of changes in workers’ compensation laws, including cutbacks in benefits and more difficulty in getting benefits.
But OSHA goes on to say that many injured workers and their families find themselves in “a trap which leaves them less able to save for the future or to make the investments in skills and education that provide the opportunity for advancement.”
Among the paper’s other major points:
“These injuries and illnesses contribute to the pressing issue of income inequality,” said OSHA administrator David Michaels. “They force working families out of the middle class and into poverty, and keep the families of lower-wage workers from entering the middle class.”
People from across the country are looking for ways to help families of the 10 people killed at a King Soopers in Boulder on March 22.
We've compiled a list of area groups that are collecting contributions in the aftermath of the shooting.
In July, we published this statement in recognition of the work we needed to begin at CPR to confront issues of diversity, equity and inclusion in our newsroom and organization as a whole.
We know this work is urgent, and we are dedicated to doing it thoroughly and connecting it with our vision and mission to reach all and serve everyone in Colorado.
Here is an update on our progress over the last eight months.
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