A coalition of labor unions, a nonprofit organization and a personal protective equipment manufacturer are pushing back on Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) efforts to dismiss litigation over cuts to a federal worker safety agency, defending the members’ standing to bring the suit and the specific claims they make.
November 15, 2026
Despite Senate pressure to quickly propose a workplace-violence standard, OSHA says in its latest Unified Agenda of regulatory actions that a proposal date is “to be determined,” and the agency is also not committing to a timeline for finalizing a heat injury and illness standard, though it is still looking to do so.
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A House appropriations panel has advanced a fiscal year 2026 spending bill that includes the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to OSHA and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), although it contains a smaller-than-requested reduction to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
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The Labor Department (DOL) is defending an OSHA citation that ExxonMobil failed to properly record the mental health diagnosis of an employee following a December 2021 explosion and fire at the company’s Baytown, TX, complex, telling a federal appeals court the agency’s actions are clearly supported by the OSH Act.
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Pennsylvania coal mine operators and a former Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) attorney are criticizing the agency’s plan to curtail district managers’ authority to mandate roof-collapse prevention measures, with the operators raising concerns about the plan’s impacts and the attorney saying it misstates the purpose and process of roof control plans.
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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking to dismiss litigation brought by labor unions and Democratic states that aims to halt massive staffing cuts at a federal worker-safety agency, arguing the plaintiffs lack standing and the courts lack jurisdiction to hear the claims.
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Mining industry safety-training experts are backing the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s (MSHA) plan to remove discretionary authority that allows agency district managers to require additional safety measures beyond those specified in regulation, but are urging MSHA to bolster the administrative record for the proposed rule.
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West Virginia coal miners are urging a federal district court to reject the Justice Department’s (DOJ) latest bid to dismiss litigation challenging staffing cuts at a key federal workplace safety agency, arguing the Trump administration has not met its burden for dismissal and is relying on Supreme Court rulings that are not relevant.
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The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) is urging the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to retain safety standards for the use of trolleys in mines, arguing the technology used to transport mined ore and coal as well as personnel is still used in at least one mine.
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OSHA is extending by 60 days the comment period on 20 proposed rules that are part of a Trump administration regulatory reform package, granting a request from labor unions and other stakeholders for more time to evaluate proposed changes to rules relating to respirator standards and other safety requirements.
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