Punching In: Big Labor Department Grants Seem to Stay in Beltway

Monday morning musings for workplace watchers.

Training Grant Dispersal|Covid Complaint, Inspection Numbers

Rebecca Rainey: The Biden administration has all but begged unions, employers, and nonprofits to take advantage of the millions of dollars of job and safety training funding available from the federal government, calling the skills training key to bolstering the economy. Last year alone, the US Department of Labor launched a “Talent Pipeline Challenge” to connect employers to organizations that offer job training, and sent $620 million in grant funding to more than 575 recipients.

The agency also plans to announce another $80 million “competition” to support job training in certain sectors expected to see growth under federal infrastructure investments.

A closer look at the DOL’s database of grants dating back to fiscal year 2019 reveals the Beltway appears to be reaping the largest of these training and assistance funds.

Of the 1,835 active grants issued since fiscal year 2019, the five largest awards went to organizations serving the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia areas. All five were awarded under the DOL’s senior community service employment program, which provides work experience for older Americans through community service jobs.

Those include:

1. $47,186,793 to the AARP Foundation in Washington, D.C.
2. $47,148,715 to the Center for Workforce Inclusion Inc. in Silver Spring, Md.
3. $34,989,068 to the National Council on Aging Inc. in Arlington, Va.
4. $23,968,808 to the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging (NCBA) Inc. in Washington, D.C.
5. $22,938,400 to the Goodwill Industries International Inc. in Rockville, Md.

Broken down by census region, of the top 50 largest active grants:

• 12 service the Northeast region
• 12 service the Midwest region
• 16 service the South
• 10 service the West

One program provides services nationally, and another program operates in two of the regions listed.

It’s important to note that most, if not all, grant programs require governments and organizations to apply for the funding—meaning the DOL typically can only dole out the cash to those who ask for it.

“The Department is committed to a competitive grant application process and offers a wide array of tools to support first time applicants in an effort to diversify the types of organizations that receive grant awards,” a DOL spokesperson said in a statement.

Rebecca Rainey

Bruce Rolfsen: If OSHA soon enacts its proposed Covid-19 rule for health-care workers, the standard will emerge at a time when the agency’s virus inspections and complaints received are far lower than when President Joe Biden called for the rule’s creation two years ago.

The White House’s Office of Regulatory and Information Affairs is analyzing the regulation, usually the last step before a standard is enacted. A date has yet to be announced for its release.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration in November received 32 complaints about Covid workplace hazards, agency data show.

But in January 2021, when Biden called for an emergency rule, OSHA took in 1,216 complaints. Complaints during the Biden administration peaked in January 2022, when the spread of the more infectious Omicron variant helped lead to 1,362 complaints being filed.

OSHA’s Covid inspection numbers have also gradually declined. In November, the agency launched 70 inspections and since July, OSHA has averaged about 95 inspections each month.

Earlier in 2022, Covid inspections spiked higher, reaching 1,418 inspections from March through June, after the agency introduced its Covid enforcement emphasis program.

The rise and decline of OSHA Covid numbers often parallel data from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention. During the January 2021 week that Biden declared the need for a rule, there were 21,574 deaths attributed to Covid. For the week of Dec. 28, the CDC reported 2,530 deaths.

The virus’s changing threat levels have prompted questions about the need for an OSHA rule at all.

The organization that represents 14,500 nursing homes and similar facilities raised the issue in a Jan. 4 letter to OSHA.

“The current strain of COVID-19 has also been shown to be less severe than previous strains, making the risk of severe illness and death, particularly for staff, much lower than early in the pandemic,” wrote Mark Parkinson, president of the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living.

The National Nurses United union, however, has sought to counter the perception that workers face a lessening threat from Covid.

“The Covid pandemic is far from over. Reports of new Covid-19 cases are once again increasing,” the union told OSHA and OIRA officials as part of its Dec. 19 presentation.

According to the CDC, the weekly rate of patients with Covid being admitted into hospitals grew from .098 cases per 100,000 people the week of Oct. 17 to 1.78 as of Dec. 28. About 55% of the patients were 70 or older.

Even while cases have increased, OSHA enforcement is limited because there hasn’t been a specific Covid standard to cite since late December 2021 when OSHA stopped enforcing its emergency temporary standard, the union noted.

We’re punching out. Daily Labor Report subscribers, please check in for updates during the week, and feel free to reach out to us.