The AFL-CIO and the United Food and Commercial Workers sued the Department of Labor yesterday, asserting that it broke the law by failing to issue regulations requiring employers to pay for protective equipment for their workers. The two labor organizations said it was wrong for the Labor Department to require employers to provide protective equipment like helmets, face shields and gloves, while often letting employers charge workers for that equipment. The groups complained that the Labor Department under President Bush had not issued final rules based on those the Clinton Labor Department proposed in 1999.
See "Lack of Rules on Protective Gear Brings Suit Against Labor Dept.", Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, January 3, 2007