Saturday, June 24, 2017

After Cambria mill blast & deaths, reject Trump's labor safety cuts

[Updating from 6/6/17, with news of fifth death
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Given the discovery of the fourth fatality in a deadly corn mill blast in Cambria, Wisconsin and learning that the factory has had known safety issues, consider that GOP President Donald Trump's proposed budget 
Donald Trump Pentagon 2017.jpg
includes a big reduction at the Department of Labor which houses worker safety programs:
Trump's slash to Labor Department budget could jeopardize workplace safety enforcement
The White House gave few details on what would have to be whacked if the Labor Department lost a fifth of its budget.
But there’s at least one program already believed to be on the chopping block — and it’s dedicated to worker safety, said Jordan Barab, the Labor Department’s former deputy assistant secretary of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
“The Susan Harwood grant program, started in the 1980s, provides $10 million a year for safety training for workers,” Barab said... 
The Harwood grants have been in the crosshairs of conservative Republicans for decades, and it’s one of the first programs that will disappear if the department’s funding dries up, Barab said.
The training Harwood grants provide is vital in part because OSHA is so small to begin with: 1,838 inspectors to check 8 million worksites across the U.S., according to the AFL-CIO.
Sound like a good idea? 

2 comments:

Jake formerly of the LP said...

Anyone asked what Congressman Grothman thinks about 4 of his constituents dying, and if he supports "freeing business" so more of this can happen.

I bet Gross-man doesn't care at all.

Sue said...

Job-killing regulations to be replaced by people-killing lack thereof.