An ongoing example would be if the Officials compared the alarming Summer of 2004 AFL-CIO statistics, 10,995 paid claimants, with the March 9 & 10, 2005, 10,297 USDOL paid claimants 9 months later. How is it possible that the USDOL department employees report 698 less claimants 9 months later? And, how was it possible that the USDOL reflects 18,855 denied claims the summer of 2004 by comparison to 16,884 denied claims 9 months later. That’s a significant 1,971 denied claims discrepancy within a 9 month period of time. The difference between 10,955 and 10,297 is a significant 698 discrepancy. See EXHIBIT 42. See last entry at URL internet location: http://www.aflcio.org/issues/safety/wc/upload/wcnotes_summer04.pdf
EXCERPTS: “The Labor Department has paid benefits to 10,995
claimants and denied benefits to 16,884. By contrast, the Department of Energy, which has traditionally maintained close, working relationships with its contractors who employed the affected workers, had only processed “about 6 percent of the more than 23,000 cases received,” according to the General Accounting Office, which reviewed the entire program after complaints mounted from Republicans and Democrats. Only one claimant received benefits after DOE and state workers’ compensation review.”Leading Senators, including Senate Finance Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Jim Bunning (R-Ky) prepared an amendment in May for the Defense Appropriations bill. The amendment transfers the DOE’s operations to the Department of Labor and provides funding for all claims, after DOL determines eligibility based on the applicable state law of the claim. While the AFL-CIO and its affiliates, including the Building and Construction Trades Department and the PACE International Union, favored a federalization of claims with a Longshore and Harbor Workers Act benefit structure, together with a broadening of the eligibility for Special Exposure Cohort application, the amendment does move this flawed program in the direction of finally paying benefits to the workers Senator Grassley has called correctly ‘Patriots’. . . ”
“Neither the Bush Administration, nor the House of Representatives supports this amendment, however, and its fate is uncertain.” — AFL-CIO Department of Occupational Health and Safety; Summer of 2004; Statistics Workers Compensation Issue 1-04 NOTES; Page 7, last entry. See EXHIBIT 42 — URL internet location: http://www.aflcio.org/issues/safety/wc/upload/wcnotes_summer04.pdf
