In Washington, where policymaking can drag on for months--even years--the Republican-led Congress took swift action in March to kill the historic ergonomics regulation that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued in November.

As predicted late last year by Darryl Alexander, AFT's Occupational Safety and Health coordinator, lawmakers bent on rescinding the regulation exercised their power under the Congressional Review Act. It is the first time the 1996 law, which allows Congress to veto executive branch rules by a majority vote, has been exercised.

Senate Republicans put the law in motion March 1 when they introduced a "Resolution of Disapproval" that laid the groundwork for the veto. Less than a week later, the Senate overturned the regulation by a vote of 56-44. The next day, the House of Representatives rejected the standard.

"Opponents of the OSHA ergonomic standard focus on short-term compliance costs rather than the immediate and long-term health benefits to working men and women," says AFT president Sandra Feldman. "They are missing the point. Ergonomic injuries are the nation's number one workplace safety and health problem. The ergonomic standard will save tens of millions of dollars in the form of improved productivity and reduced Workers' Compensation costs."

OSHA estimates the regulation would have saved businesses $9.1 billion annually in each of the first 10 years it was in effect. The Senate vote was "a naked payoff to big business contributors who have opposed every effort to enact a standard protecting workers," says AFL-CIO president John Sweeney.

Labor secretary Elaine Chao says she will "pursue a comprehensive approach to ergonomics" that might include proposing a new rule that responds to the concerns of critics.