U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Remarks Prepared for Delivery by U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
Violence Against Women Summit
Anchorage, Alaska
Wednesday, June 30, 2004

Thank you, Diane [Stuart, Director, Office on Violence Against Women, DOJ]. And let me recognize Gregg Renkes, the Alaska Attorney General. Thank you both for joining us here today.

First, I want to thank Senator Lisa Murkowski for hosting this important conference.

Sen. Murkowski and Senator Ted Stevens are doing a great job for you in Washington. In fact, with their help, the Department of Labor has given an $8 million grant to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development to help workers affected by declines in the commercial salmon industry. $2 million was awarded in December. This week the Department will award the next increment of $4 million to continue helping workers along the Alaskan coastline. This is in addition to the more than $67 million Alaska receives every year for training and employment programs from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Senator Murkowski is bringing much needed attention and understanding to the critical issue we're here to talk about at this summit: domestic violence.

I talk with women all across this country … in fact, around the world. And wherever I go, I meet women who are making a difference in their neighborhoods, communities and in the workplace. They are an inspiration.

But I know that many women face great challenges as they balance careers and family. Many women are the sole breadwinners in their families … single moms struggling to make a better life for their families. And many face the greatest challenge — the tragedy and betrayal of violence in their homes or in their workplace.

Domestic violence devastates families. As frequent witnesses to this tragedy, children are the youngest victims. As the targets of violence, wives and mothers are left with not only physical, but emotional scars that sometimes never heal.

Most often, law enforcement officers, health professionals and state and federal officials — like all of you here today — are the ones called upon to intervene at some level. You are on the front lines of compassion — a lifeline for these women. And that's why this summit is so important.

Violence in the workplace is a serious public safety and health issue. The most extreme form of violence, homicide, is the third-leading cause of fatal occupational injury in the United States. It is the second-leading cause of death for women in the workplace.

Workplace violence takes an enormous toll on its victims and on our society. Each year, more than 500,000 workers lose more than 1.1 million workdays and more than $55 million in wages due to workplace violence. Billions of dollars are lost every year in productivity, legal expenses, property damage, diminished public image and increased security.

So violence against women is not just a personal or family issue — it's a public policy issue that must be addressed.

While there is more work to do, the U.S. Labor Department's focus on health and safety in the workplace has helped to sharply decrease the number of homicides and assaults on the job in recent years. The workplace is becoming a safer place for women. Workplace homicides dropped 5 percent between 2001-2002. This is the lowest number recorded since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began analyzing workplace homicides in 1992. And it represents a 44 percent decline from the 1994 high of 1,080 workplace homicides.

But it is critical to keep driving the numbers down, to keep protecting women at work and to keep saving lives. A good job in a safe working environment is key to helping women rebuild their lives. Prevention is the first step. Through the Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration Web site, workers and employers can access a number of tools to help.

One is the Workplace Violence Awareness course. It is an online, interactive course that examines the problem of workplace violence and helps employers craft solutions, including workplace violence prevention plans.

Another online, interactive OSHA course — Developing an Effective Violence Prevention Program — helps employers develop pre-employment screening measures, assess risk factors, create incident reporting and training strategies for at-risk workers.

And workers concerned about workplace violence can find helpful tools on the OSHA Web site. These include protection and prevention information for workers in the fields of social work, health care, late-night retail and other occupations where workers tend to be more vulnerable.

To access these resources, please visit: www.osha.gov, and then click on "W" and go to "Workplace Violence".

One of the most important lessons we have learned about workplace violence is that prevention is essential. So these resources to help employers and workers create safe working environments can make a real difference.

Equally important is helping women workers who have been the victims of workplace violence rebuild their lives. This is especially important for those women who will be going to work for the first time in their lives to support themselves and their children.

In Alaska, there are 6 comprehensive Job Centers offering a full range of assistance programs for workers and job seekers. They are here in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, Bethel and Kenai. They are staffed with concerned professionals who are ready to help. Women will find training and education referrals, career counseling, job listings and many other employment-related services. Information about these centers is easily accessible at the Department of Labor's Web site: www.dol.gov.

These Job Centers are an important part of the collaborative effort between the Labor Department, the Justice Department and other agencies to help victims of domestic and workplace violence re-enter the workforce. You will be hearing more about the Family Justice Centers, which refer women to the Job Centers, later on. President George W. Bush initiated this effort last October during Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Finally, concerned employers can find help through the Women's Bureau of the Labor Department. It has developed a number of tools including Flex-Options for Women, which provides models for helping women manage work and family responsibilities. Through the program, larger businesses mentor women business owners in creating flexibility options for their employees. This can be crucial for women who are victims of violence. They may need to take time to go to court, to take a child to the doctor or take care of other family responsibilities. Flexible workplace policies are a proven benefit to employers, as well. They improve recruitment, boost morale and aid in retention and productivity. It's a win-win situation for everyone.

The Women's Bureau Wise Up money management program can also help. This course teaches women how to build financial security by managing household budgets, learning to save and using credit wisely. These are very important for women who are rebuilding their lives and for those who will be managing their family budgets for the first time.

President Bush, this Administration and the Department of Labor care deeply about vulnerable women who have experienced the tragedy of violence in the home or at the workplace. We are committed to making a difference in their lives.

President Bush has often said: "The strength of our country is not our military, it's not our wallet — the strength of our country is the heart and soul of the American people." You are the heart and soul of our country that he is talking about. You give hope to women who thought they were beyond reach. You provide opportunity to those who thought they could never stand on their own. And you can help prevent workplace violence from occurring in the first place. So don't ever give up. You are a lifeline for so many Alaskan women, helping them build better futures for their families, one day at a time.

Thank you for your commitment to helping the most vulnerable in our society. God bless you and the wonderful work that you do — Alaska is counting on you!