Compassionate Conservatism? Not
for Working Americans!
In the first action taken by the Republican-dominated Congress in 2001,
the target was working Americans. Or was it simply a pay-off to the corporations
that funded the campaigns of the Republican majorities and President Bush?
Ten years ago, when George W. Bush’s father was President, the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration began the process of developing
workplace standards that would reduce the number of workers subject to
“repetitive stress” injuries – most commonly, repetitive motions that lead
to debilitating carpal tunnel syndrome, back injuries, etc. Despite the fact
that OSHA recognized the need for workplace standards in a Republican
Administration, corporate interests fought tenaciously against any standard
during the Clinton Administration. Never the less, after a ten year research and
consultation process, an “Ergonomics Standard” to prevent repetitive stress
injuries was issued late last year and became effective in mid-January.
On Tuesday, March 6th, the Senate voted 56-44 to repeal the Standard. On
Wednesday, March 7th, the House voted 223-206 to repeal. Both Senators Feingold
and Kohl voted against repeal. In fact, Senator Feingold took a lead role in
reorganizing opposition to repeal and speaking against repeal on the Senate
floor. All of Wisconsin’ Democratic Members of the House voted against repeal
– and they were joined by Republican Representative Petri, who courageously
resisted pressures from Republican leadership and corporate special interests.
Despite the fact that 1.6 million workers sustain repetitive strain
injuries each year (a conservative estimate), Republican House leadership
allowed only one hour for debate of this issue which affects the health,
well-being, and even the ability to work of millions of workers.
David Newby, President of the 260,000 member Wisconsin State AFL-CIO,
reacted angrily to these votes. “All we heard from George Bush and Republican
candidates for Congress during the campaign last year was expressions of
‘compassionate conservatism’ and concern for the interests of working
families. Now we know what they really meant: give corporations that care the
least for their workers whatever they want, no matter what the cost to the
workers themselves”.
Corporations outspent unions 15 to 1 during last year’s elections,
Newby noted. “And so they bought the best Congress and President they could.
An administration which would do exactly what they wanted: declare war on
working Americans. President Bush started by suspending every pro-worker
regulation he could during his first few days in office. Now the Senate and
House Republicans have followed up by paying off their business pals by
eliminating the most important workplace health and safety standard OSHA has
ever developed. Their next move, of course, will be to give a huge tax cut to
the richest 1% of Americans, from the wealth and budget surpluses created by
Americans who work for a wage, not stock options. We had hoped that, given the
rhetoric of the campaigns last year, there might be some possibilities for
cooperation with the Administration and this Congress. Republican actions taken
this week suggest that will be impossible. The President and most Republicans
have declared war on all American workers, union members or not. We will have to
respond not only with an organized defense, but also with an offense that puts
forward an agenda that really benefits the vast majority of Americans”.
From the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO
