« Union Democracy in Carpenters | Main | Stopping Iraq Profiteering »

October 14, 2003

Voting to Maim Workers

In November, Washington State voters will have a chance to directly vote to maim 50,000 state residents a year.

Business groups are mounting an initiative to repeal state ergonomic safety rules designed to end the 50,000 preventable injuries caused each year by employers ignoring ergonomic safeguards.

Hopefully, the state voters will pass up the chance to disable and maim their fellow citizens and vote No.

The mostly labor-backed No on Initiative 841 forces are mounting a tough campaign against the "Lies and Lying Liars of I-841™" backing the initiative (Al Franken's gotta love his title leaping off the bestseller list right into a political campaign.)

Go read more-- ergonomics are a crucial front in the battle for workplace safety and health. (For day-to-day news on workplace safety, don't forget to keep checking Confined Space.)

BTW on the "federalist hypocrisy" front, the initiative would block any new ergonomics regulations in deference to waiting for federal policy, arguing that the federal government should have exclusive regulatory power over this area. It's funny how every time states do something to help workers, all the "federalism" rhetoric gets thrown out the window.

Posted by Nathan at October 14, 2003 10:29 AM