Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Kicks Off Convention on Zoom

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO 44^th Constitutional Convention has gone online, via Zoom. Delegates from labor unions representing more than 700,000 working men and women across our Commonwealth are coming together to address the impact of COVID-19 on worker health and safety and call for action to protect all frontline workers.

President Rick Bloomingdale delivered his State of the Union remarks, calling for action to protect the health and safety of workers at risk of on-the-job exposure to COVID-19. Today's keynote speakers included National AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Secretary of the PA Department of Health Dr. Rachel Levine.  The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO joins President Trumka in calling for OSHA to protect working people from occupational exposure to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. The importance of health and safety protections on the job has never been more important.

"April 28, 2020 will mark the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.  On that day, how many health care workers, first responders, and essential workers will have been infected or died from COVID-19 exposure in the workplace?" said President Rick Bloomingdale. "The definition of solidarity is unity based on common interests. The right to safety on the job is a universal interest.  The right to protection in a public health crisis is a universal interest."

Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder commented, "It is only fitting for our Constitutional Convention to begin with upholding and fighting for the basic right of all workers to a safe and healthy workplace.  Today's front-line superheroes wear scrubs, delivery uniforms, and butchers' aprons. Police officers and firefighters continue to respond first, to our most urgent emergencies. Each and every one of them have the right to safety on the job."

SOURCE Pennsylvania AFL-CIO