Law Center Search Results

The NAM filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court supporting Emerson Electric Co.’s request for review of the California Supreme Court’s decision that enforcement actions under California’s Unfair Competition Law (UCL) are not preempted by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act). The OSH Act subjects employers and employees to one set of workplace safety regulations and imposes uniform health and safety requirements. States may regulate and enforce additional workplace safety only pursuant to a federally approved plan that avoids duplicative and counterproductive regulation. One California county sidestepped an approved state plan to seek additional penalties against Emerson for an alleged workplace violation. That circumvention could set a dangerous precedent for manufacturers by allowing counties to impose duplicative and conflicting workplace requirements on manufacturers. The NAM’s amicus brief argued that the federal OSH Act preempts such conflicting requirements and asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear and reverse the decision, but the U.S. Supreme Court declined review.