The United Steelworkers today lauded the appointment of Nancy Lessin, a longtime activist on behalf of worker health and safety, to a seat on the 12-member federal Whistleblower Protection Advisory Committee (WPAC). Lessin was appointed by U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis.

The panel, part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), was established to make recommendations to Labor Department officials on ways to improve OSHA’s administration of whistleblower protections under OSHA and 21 other federal statutes.

“Since 1979, when Nancy Lessin began working in the field of occupational safety and health, she has been assisting and educating workers regarding whistleblower rights, and advocating for strong enforcement of whistleblower statutes,” USW International President Leo W. Gerard wrote in nominating Lessin for the post ... more