Republicans Seek to Kill OSHA? If It's FOR the People, They're Against It! [View All]

[Dr. Jones]

I'm really beginning to despise Republicans and everything they stand for. I'm not one to have hatred in my heart, but boy is it HARD to see their selfish, greedy, callous, unfeeling, rude, arrogant philosophy and still maintain ANY measure of civility.

As workers' comp benefits have become more difficult to obtain, the threat to workplace safety has grown more serious. During the first two years of the Clinton administration, OSHA seemed like a revitalized agency. It began to draw up the first ergonomics standards for the nation's manufacturers, aiming to reduce cumulative trauma disorders. The election of 1994, however, marked a turning point. The Republican majority in Congress that rose to power that year not only impeded the adoption of ergonomics standards but also raised questions about the future of OSHA. Working closely with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, House Republicans have worked hard to limit OSHA's authority. Congressmen Cass Ballenger, a Republican from North Carolina, introduced legislation that would require OSHA to spend at least half of its budget on "consultation" with businesses, instead of enforcement. This new budget requirement would further reduce the number of OSHA inspections, which by the late 1990s had already reached an all-time low. Ballenger has long opposed OSHA inspections, despite the fact that near his own district a fire at a poultry plant killed twenty-five workers in 1991. The plant had never been inspected by OSHA, its emergency exits had been chained shut, and the bodies of workers were found in piles near the locked doors. Congressmen Joel Hefley, a Colorado Republican whose district includes Colorado Springs, has introduced a bill that makes Ballenger's seem moderate. Hefley's "OSHA Reform Act" would essentially repeal the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. It would forbid OSHA from conducting any workplace inspections or imposing any fines.

Source: Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation. New York: Perennial/Harper Collins, 2002. pp 185-186.

Note to admins: I was unsure of the length of this excerpt, but it was indeed written as one full paragraph in the book cited. Please let me know if it's too long, and I'll oblige.