On the accident & work related sickness here are some things to Keep in mind:
1) The widespread use of contractors in manufacturing plants. If they get hurt or sick is it being reported and by who to whom? What about injured non-union contractor temps?
2) Who is enforcing the reporting of accidents and work related sickness in non-union manufacturing? Sure, if someone in a non-union workplace blows the whistle loud enough to OSHA---Maybe!
3) Even in union manufacturing most corporations will go out of their way to avoid reporting a lost time accident if possible.
4) If a lot of 40/50 year old's start to die after working killer overtime---is this work releated?
5) What about accident reporting by sweatshops??? Yeah, sure!!!
Tom
John Gulick wrote:
> ><< Doug, how do you explain *those* numbers, I'm at a loss as to how to
> > explain it, aside from deindustrialization and shifts to investment in
> > FIRE and service sector jobs?
> >
> >OSHA was created in 1973. Maybe it si doing some good/ --jks
>
> >From _The Progressive_, February 2000:
>
> Losing Life and Limb on the Job
>
> BY CHRISTOPHER D. COOK * At one wheel factory in Virginia, workers are
> losing their fingers. OSHA is not up to its task in this plant--or in
> thousands of others around the country.
>
> The above article might shed some light on the job-related injury/illness
> stats, but you'll have to track down a "hard copy" (not available on-line).
> Cook is one the better left-liberal writers on worker's health and safety
> issues around -- written some award-winning pieces on poultry processing
> plants in the Midwest.
>
> John Gulick