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In
Your Face! The Big
Bad Business Lobby
My fingers are tingling. My wrists hurt. Sometimes, even my elbows and shoulders hurt. Why, you ask? What sinister activity is causing me such pain? WORK!
Okay, so I'm not in terrible pain, but -- like anyone else who works on computers all day -- I do get that odd tingling from time to time, and my hands and wrists do get sore. Such symptoms, were they more severe, are indicative of work-related, repetitive motion injuries.
Thankfully, my employers have provided me with an ergonomic keyboard to keep my wrists at a more comfortable angle, and a keyboard tray to keep my arms at the right height. Thankfully, my employers care about me. But what if they didn't?
Shortly before President Clinton left office, OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) issued regulations that required employers to adapt workplaces to protect employees who perform repetitive motions or lift heavy objects, and to compensate those employees if they sustain injury as a result of such work. Pretty logical, right? Happy, healthy workers are more productive workers, right? In fact, OSHA claimed that, in the first decade the regulations were in effect, said guidelines would prevent 4.6 million musculoskeletal disorders, and would provide an average annual savings to business of $9.1 billion.
Perhaps, then, someone out there can tell me why, on March 7, Congress repealed these regulations? Are they nuts? Is it that Congresspeople, who don't do repetitive work or heavy lifting, don't suffer from these ailments? Is it that they just can't appreciate what the average American worker is faced with? Yes, there would be a cost for businesses to come into compliance with the OSHA standards, but there would be savings -- 4.6 million fewer musculoskeletal disorders, and $9.1 billion saved by businesses -- that more than compensate for the cost. And ethically, don't such regulations just seem right?
I suppose we have the big business lobby to thank -- the same folks who bristle at the idea of fuel-efficient cars and alternate sources of energy. Three cheers for progress, as long as it doesn't hurt next quarter's bottom line. (And before you label me a Marxist, you should know that I have no affiliation with any political party. I'm not exactly Adam Smith, but not exactly Cesar Chavez either.)
The real bottom line is that repealing these rules was bad for business, bad for workers, and bad for the country. The OSHA regulations should be reinstated.
My fingers tingle, how about yours? Or do you think employees that complain of pain should have their hands cut off? Let me know at inyourface@booksense.com.
Disclaimer: In Your Face does not necessarily represent the views of BookSense.com’s staff, management, ownership, or its affiliated booksellers. [Heck, we're not entirely sure it even represents Len's views.] |
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