Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this amendment, which would safeguard America's working women and America's working family. That is whose side we are on in this debate. Ergonomic health disorders afflict female occupations, including nursing aides, orderlies, attendants, registered nurses, cashiers, and maids.
Women suffer disproportionately.
While ergonomic hazards produce 34 percent of all workplace injuries and illnesses, they cause nearly one-half of these among women. Although women comprise 46 percent of the work force and 33 percent of the injured workers, women represent 63 percent of repetitive motion syndrome, including 69 percent of lost work time cases resulting from carpal tunnel syndrome. Congress' fight to protect workers' health and safety has been a long one. In 1996, I had an amendment on the floor, which we won in a Republican Congress, which we won almost unanimous support from the Democratic side, a few votes on the Republican side. What this language in the legislation before us does, this is an obstruction to the implementation of that 1996 amendment.