Take Action to Oppose OSHA’s Walkaround Rule, Support H.J.Res. 147

Posted on:

May 31, 2024

Representative Mary Miller (R-IL) recently introduced H.J.Res. 147, a Congressional Review Act Resolution that would overturn OSHA’s recently finalized Walkaround Rule.

OSHA’s new rule allows third-party representatives, including union organizers and labor advocates, to be present during job site inspections at the request of as few as two employees. This is a significant deviation from the longstanding precedent that requires majority employee support for union representation. It also raises significant liability and privacy concerns for employers. This policy has nothing to do with OSHA’s primary mission of workplace safety and has significant potential for abuse by bad actors.

Following the CRA’s introduction, ACCA President and CEO Barton James sent a letter to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) urging them to support this important legislation. ACCA argued that the rule risks compromising OSHA’s core mission of maintaining federal workplace health and safety standards. Additionally, ACCA argued that allowing third-party representatives could transform OSHA inspections into platforms for various external agendas, introducing numerous risks such as the exposure of proprietary information, the targeting of workers, and potential liability issues; all risks that would detract from OSHA’s primary goal of ensuring safe and healthy working conditions for all employees.

The full letter can be viewed here.

ACCA works hard to advocate on behalf of contractors. Join ACCA in the fight against this rule; take action and let your members of Congress know why they should support this resolution. Urge your house representatives to pass the resolution by participating in ACCA’s action alert here.

Thank you for helping us fight for HVACR contractors.