Republican Run OSHA — Expect Worker Deaths
As reported by Stephen Labaton of the New York Times on April 25, 2007, and summarized by Ursula Keen
Labor Secretary, Elaine L. Choa, under the Bush Administration told business owners in a speech such things as, “We’re going to bring transparency to the regulatory jungle“…and noted, “there are more words in the Federal Register describing OSHA regulations than there are words in the Bible...” (Well, no surprise there, OSHA regulations save lives physically, and the Bible spiritually).
By the end of 2001, OSHA had withdrawn more than a dozen proposed regulations.
The 3 biggest industries regulated by OSHA — Transportation, Agribusiness, and Construction have given more than $630 million in political campaign contributions since 2000, with nearly three-quarters of that money going to republicans, in return the Bush administration has promised to address their concerns. Construction companies are pleased that OSHA recently decided to relax the standards for handling explosives, and the transportation industry is happy about OSHA’s easing the regulations concerning truck driver hours.
It seems to me that workers will pay the ultimate price as well as consumers for OSHA not doing its job which is to set standards and enforce them.