AFS and NAM send DOL a request to delay silica enforcement
Metalcasters were in the middle of the action in Washington at this year’s AFS Fly-In, May 15-16. The event combined up-to-the minute policy briefings on key issues moving through Congress affecting the industry, as well as an overview of the continuing discussions with OSHA on the silica rule FAQs, opportunities to speak face-to-face with elected representatives in Washington, and an insightful glimpse of “inside baseball” into how President Trump operates and the looming midterm elections.
The AFS Fly-In was well-attended, and participants made several effective visits to their representatives on Capitol Hill. Two members of Congress, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) and Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), were presented with the Metalcasting Industry Eagle Award for their strong support of metalcasting at a Tuesday evening reception at the Capitol Hill Club.
During their visits with elected representatives on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, May 16, metalcasters discussed:
- Importance of investing in the nation’s crumbling infrastructure
- Signing onto House and Senate letters to OSHA requesting delay of 180 days in enforcement of OSHA’s silica rule
- Benefits of recently passed tax reform package Tax Cuts & Jobs Act
- Workforce Shortage challenges facing foundries
On Wednesday afternoon, as AFS members were wrapping up their visits with elected representatives on Capitol Hill, AFS and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Labor requesting a six-month delay of the silica rule from June 23 to December 23, 2018. The full text of the letter is here.
The insider baseball came from Mike Allen, a well-known Washington reporter and co-founder and executive editor of Axios, an online news organization. Allen elaborated on how President Trump, who stays in touch with friends outside of government, frequently shares voluminous details with those friends about the workings of the administration. “Trump loves to talk on the phone. He is 100% into the human connection,” Allen said.
More coverage of the AFS Fly-In will appear in future editions of Modern Casting and Member Connections.
