At US Department of Labor, Workers’ Voice Summit stresses collaboration in addressing workers’ rights concerns

Event focused on workforce equity, expanding accessibility for underserved workers

U.S. Department of Labor officials gathered with workers, union representatives and labor organizers from a range of industries to discuss the value of building relationships and collaborating on ideas to address workers’ concerns at its Workers’ Voice Summit, Sept. 27-29, 2022.

Hosted by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the three-day summit focused on trends affecting workers and the need to foster open dialogue to identify workplace problems and find solutions. Participants also discussed the benefits of advancing equity and making the department more accessible to underserved workers and their advocates.

Officials from the department’s Wage and Hour Division, Office of the Solicitor, Women’s Bureau, Bureau of International Labor Affairs, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, and Office of Public Engagement also joined the event.

“Today’s worker needs to be empowered to speak up about their workplace concerns, and we need to equip them with the right tools and resources,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. “With these tools, they can raise their safety and health concerns with their employer or contact us when their employer fails to address violations.”

“The more that OSHA understands the challenges workers face and the more workers understand OSHA’s work, the easier it will be for us to find solutions together,” Parker added.

The summit aligns with the department’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility plan, the Biden-Harris administration’s coordinated effort to expand diversity across the federal government and improve job quality nationwide.

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