Historical and political overview.

There are more than 10 million local government workers in the United States. Municipal workers are exposed to a wide variety of serious chemical, biological, physical, ergonomic, and safety hazards. Decisions made by legislative bodies and policy makers historically have had a severe impact on the health and safety of local government workers. In over half of the states, city workers are not covered by safety and health programs approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They also lack universal coverage under laws providing union recognition and the right to collectively bargain over working conditions. Collective action in the workplace and the political arena remains the most important vehicle for municipal workers to secure safe working conditions.