U.S. Labor Officials Host Summit On Workplace Safety In Cumberland County
BRIDGETON, N.J. (AP) -- Federal labor officials say Latino workers suffer workplace injuries and deaths on the job at a higher rate than all other workers combined.
Experts say in New Jersey, the problem is prevalent among migrant farmworkers or those hired as day laborers; two groups often exposed to wage abuses or workplace safety hazards.
The U.S. Department of Labor is hosting a summit on the issue Sunday in Bridgeton to educate people on workplace safety and federal wage protections.
Latino workers accounted for nearly one quarter of the total number of New Jersey worker fatalities in 2009, according to the most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Organizers were expecting participation from more than 200 people, including workers, representatives from community groups, unions, faith-based organizations, and federal and state agencies.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
