Legislators hear from injured employees
NASHVILLE (AP) — As the Bredesen administration considered workers’ compensation bill revisions to address labor concerns, legislators heard Wednesday from employees who said the current system doesn’t protect them.
John Bell, a former pipe fitter from Jasper, told members of the House Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee that the consequences of a back, hip and leg injury he sustained on the job over two years ago left his family in turmoil.
“What type of work I will be able to do is unknown … but I will never be able to be a pipe fitter again due to the physical demands of that job,” he said. “My livelihood that I had is now gone.”
Bell, 47, receives limited compensation for his injury from the Chattanooga company he worked for, DuPont contractor Fluor-Daniel construction, but says it’s not enough. He also worries changes proposed by Gov. Phil Bredesen will reduce what little money he does get.
“We don’t need our benefits cut,” he told lawmakers. “Families, spouses and their children are suffering every day because they can’t get the help they need because they are out of work.”
Bell was among 10 injured workers who testified before the committee’s daylong hearing in a room packed with spectators on various sides of the issue. The large pro-labor group wore bright stickers saying “Limit Injuries, Not Benefits.”
John Summers, a lobbyist for trial lawyers, said the Bredesen proposal “cuts benefits for workers more than anything I’ve seen in my 23 years here.”
Bredesen acknowledges that benefits are being cut but says it’s necessary to help employers lower costs and keep jobs in Tennessee.
One of the problems cited by businesses is high workers’ comp insurance premiums, but there is nothing in the bill that directly reduces those costs. The administration believes a more predictable and less expensive system will create an environment in which market forces will drive down the cost of premiums.
Sen. Joe Haynes, the Democratic Caucus chairman from Goodlettsville who reluctantly agreed to sponsor the governor’s bill, said labor leaders met with administration officials Wednesday morning in hopes of reaching a compromise that might be more agreeable to injured workers.
“I think there’s a little wiggle room there,” he said, adding that Bredesen’s staff promised to mull over some suggestions and get back to the negotiating table soon.
The bill is scheduled for debate Thursday in the Senate Commerce Committee and the governor has said repeatedly that he wants to sign changes into law before lawmakers adjourn this spring.
The administration isn’t budging yet on the most controversial aspect of the legislation, a reduction of the “multiplier” that determines how much money a worker who returns to the job receives in workers’ comp benefits.
Currently, a judge is allowed to increase a doctor’s determination of impairment by up to 2.5 times. Bredesen’s bill would reduce that to 1.5 times, which the governor says would bring Tennessee more in line with neighboring states.
Haynes said the administration is willing to consider several other provisions, including removal of a cap on the amount of money workers can get if they’re too disabled to return to work.
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Associated Press Writers Karin Miller and Tom Sharp contributed to this report.
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On the Net:
Read SB3424/HB3531 at Tennessee General Assembly, http://www.legislature.state.tn.us