Santa Monica Takes Large Living-Wage Leap
Building service contractors working in Santa Monica, Calif. will have to plan for an upcoming wage hike; after several years of debate, the city recently adopted an ordinance requiring all businesses to pay workers $12.25 an hour (or $10.50 if health care is covered).

This is the first U.S. living wage ordinance to cover private-sector employment. Most living wage laws only cover government workers and contracted employees serving government facilities.

The law reportedly affects any hotels, restaurants, stores and other businesses that have at least $5 million in annual revenue and are located in a specific area of Santa Monica.

Opponents are trying to collect petition signatures to force a referendum that could overturn the ordinance. Supporters of the ordinance, on the other hand, have begun to educate the community regarding the need to keep the requirement in place.
“Clearly there’s very strong public support for the idea of living wages,” says Danny Feingold, a spokesperson for the group fighting the repeal. “We know the voters believe janitors and dishwashers and housekeepers should make enough to live on.”


Safety
OSHA IDs Injuries
Almost 14,000 companies received letters from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)this month alerting them to their high occupational injury and illness rates and urging them to take action to remove pertinent hazards.

The recipients are those companies that were reported as having the highest "lost workday injury and illness" rates to OSHA in a 1999 data survey. For every 100 full-time workers, the 14,000 employers had eight or more injuries or illnesses that resulted in lost work days, while the national average only is three per 100 full-time workers.

The letter does not automatically trigger fines or other regulatory action, but does encourage employers to consider hiring an outside safety and health consultant, talking with their insurance carrier, or contacting their state workers' compensation agency for advice.

Employers with 250 or fewer workers can ask OSHA's on-site consultation program for assistance. State agencies administer the free program, which operates separately from OSHA's inspection program.


EU to Offer Green Purchasing Guide
The European Union plans to release a “green” purchasing guide for local governments around the world interested in integrating environmentally friendly materials and services into their operations.

This is a follow-up to recently released advice from the EU’s executive committee explaining how public agencies can purchase environmentally friendly products such as energy- efficient or recycled goods.

The EU Committee of the American Chamber of Commerce, which represents American industry in Europe, contends that plans to encourage environmentally-friendly product purchasing could run against global procurement rules.

This group also has rejected European proposals for an integrated product policy — one that would allow for a lower sales tax rate for “green” products — on the grounds that is will hinder product development initiatives.

Company Liable for Harassment
Employers can be held responsible for workplace harassment on company electronic bulletin boards, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled.

In Blakely v. Continental Airlines, the court ruled that a woman who found disparaging remarks about herself on the company’s online bulletin board could sue her employer for maintaining a hostile work environment.

The court ruled that the company had the responsibility to monitor its bulletin board, find out who was leaving the comments and deal with the harassment effectively.

Ecolab Settles EPA Dispute
Ecolab Professional Products, a St. Paul, Minn.-based cleaning chemical manufacturer, has agreed to pay a $277,953 fine to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after the company was accused of selling and distributing unregistered pesticides.

The products in question were Ecolab’s Clean Up Kit with ChloraSorb and Mess Kit with ChloraSorb. The EPA alleges that the ChloraSorb, which is used to absorb and deodorize blood or other potentially infection materials in hospitals, was not registered along with the germicide spray it is used with, which Ecolab contends was registered properly.

The kit was removed from the market in late 2000, but if people already have kits, they still can use them to properly disinfect spills if they follow the label instructions, says Lois Westduffy, director of community and public relations for Ecolab.

In addition to the fine, Ecolab has agreed to conduct two environmental projects that will total at least $107,000. The agency initially proposed a larger fine, but reduced the amount due to Ecolab’s cooperation when the violation was first discovered.

This information is intended as a summary of legal information and should in no way be construed as legal advice. Contact your attorney before proceeding with any legal action.




POSTED ON: 8/1/2001