A Labor Department Wakes Up (Good for the president!)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.workinglife.org/blogs/view_post.php?content_id=13491

by Jonathan Tasini
Friday 08 of May, 2009
Posted to Front Page Posts

Yes, there are big issues where the outcome is not clear--the Employee Free Choice Act and health care come to mind. But, this does make a difference in the day-to-day lives of workers--from The Wall Street Journal today:

Mr. Obama is asking for $13.3 billion of discretionary spending to run the Labor Department, up 3% from fiscal 2009. The $400 million increase would boost enforcement of workplace-safety and wage rules, and pay for more staffers to ensure that businesses comply with equal-employment rules for federal contractors.

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said Thursday that the budget is "ambitious" in its effort to restore worker protections and improve employment opportunities. It calls for increasing the department's full-time staff by nearly 1,000, including hundreds of investigators who will handle complaints and check on businesses to ensure they are complying with federal rules.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration would get 15% more funding for enforcement under the president's proposal, while money for enforcing wage standards would increase 18%. Mr. Obama proposes to cut spending for the labor-management standards program, which investigates union-embezzlement charges. The Labor agency that enforces equal-employment standards for federal contractors would get a budget increase of 33% to do so in 2010.

So, this is a small step to return the Labor Department to what it should be doing: making sure the lives of workers are a bit better. I have long believed that workplace safety enforcement is a bit of a sham--meaning, that as long as workers don't have the power in the workplace to police unsafe working conditions and stop work when dangerous conditions are spotted it is hard to imagine how you ever have enough inspectors out there to make a difference. BUT...it's a whole lot better to have more than less, and, more important, a mentality that the "Labor Department" is not an outpost for the Chamber of Commerce (see: Elaine Chao).

Good for the president.

[truedelphi]

1. This is excellent news. Thank you for posting.

And K & R.

[rurallib]

2. I greatly hope they will enforce mine safety.

Way too many have died unnecessarily thanks to lax enforcement for 30+ years of Repugnant rule.