Ted Kennedy – Missing a Champion of Safety
There are few families that have impacted the American people as much as the Kennedys. Through politics, activism, fashion, controversy and tragedy, one thing that everyone can agree upon is that this family name will be remembered. The latest tragic end has fallen upon Senator Edward M. Kennedy who died at the age of 77 on August 25th.
Kennedy spent over 3 decades of his life in the U.S. Senate and among his many contributions (over 2,500 bills), one of his passions was creating a safer workplace for American workers.
One of the most well-known rights Kennedy fought to give workers was the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This act gave all workers the ability to take unpaid leave to care for themselves or family members in case of a medical illness or for maternity leave without fear of termination. Over 60 million Americans have been able to take advantage of this act thanks in part to Ted Kennedy.
Kennedy also worked to provide Americans with the right to paid sick leave by introducing the Healthy Families Act, which would ensure 7 days of paid sick leave to be used for workers’ health maintenance as well as their family members. He also saw the need for the Working Families Flexibility Act in order to allow employees the ability to meet the needs of both family and work through a flexible job arrangement.
He even made a point throughout his career to address the financial discrimination that hits women where it hurts, their wallets. Women currently earn 78 cents to every $1 earned by a man. When the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 was signed by President Obama, Kennedy was a leader in its passing.
Another group Kennedy fought for are those in the mining industry, with his MINER Act legislation passed in 2006. Despite the new law being passed, Kennedy felt more needed to be done and he continued to call for safety investigations across the country concerning these workers.
He also worked tirelessly to pass the Protecting America’s Worker’s Act, which would expand the coverage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. “Enacting of the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970 was a major step in guaranteeing the basic right of workers to be safe on the job. Since the law was signed, however, we have not substantially amended it to improve worker protections,” said Kennedy.
Although this bill has not yet become law, even after his death it will live on through the efforts of his fellow senators. He will be missed.
Comments
4 Comments
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by Mike Miller 3 years agoHeather
Nice sentiment but lets not forget that Teddy hated the English and was was instrumental in giving Jerry Adams a visa to visit America against the wishes of the UK government. It is well documented that he funded and supported IRA terrorism at the time when they were pennyless, militarily broken and polictically dead due the outrage of mass killing and murder of high profile people and general public all of whom were innocent! Also he was a womaniser and sex preditor. HE WAS A MURDERER He picked up a woman in his car, crashed it into a lake and left her to die thus making him also a liar and a coward. The investigating officers said that if he had just reported the incident her life would have been saved. He never had the balls! and just ran to his brothers for cover which they managed beautifully.
Finally the Kennedy's brought the world to the brink of a nuclear war with the Russians over the Cuban crisis! You may not remember any of these things but I am surely old enough to and we should all pray to god that another Kennedy does not ever come to power as we will all be doomed.
I think they were all a ghastly family who did more harm than good and I make no apoligies for that sentiment! -
by Trey Greene 3 years agoI was simply writing this in regards to his achievements in terms of safety issues and not his personal life. I did not intend to create a political discussion with this blog and I apologize if I offended you. However, I respect your right to freedom of speech and hope that you respect mine in return. Thank you for commenting. -
by Richard Brown 3 years agoHeather
You must be a glutton for punishment. I have read some of the comments following your post to some of the LinkedIn Health & Safety groups, and most of them were from fellow Americans. Mike's comments are mild mannered compared to some I have seen, particularly from British armed forces personnel.
Politics is about life, so you cannot divorce it from any discussion. Additionally you did somewhat sugar coat your eulogy so should expect others to post contrary views, especially about someone so controversial - and don't start us Brits on about his father who is even more reviled. -
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