USA: Ergonomics — an issue whose time is coming

by Phil E Benjamin

The fight for ergonomic protection for workers in Washington 
State experienced a tragic setback when anti-labour, anti-worker 
Proposition I-841 passed in this month's elections. The State had 
been leading the nation in attempting to protect its workers from 
the ravages of repetitive motion disease since 2000. Tough 
ergonomic standards had been promulgated in response to the 
demands of workers and unions during the Clinton administration, 
but. the very first action of the Bush administration upon taking 
office was to repeal the legislation.

Washington State was to start enforcing it at large companies 
last July. The rules required employers to identify all jobs that 
pose ergonomic hazards and then to take all possible steps to 
reduce or eliminate those hazards.

Every year in Washington, more than 50,000 people suffer work-
related musculoskeletal injuries such as carpal-tunnel syndrome, 
shoulder tendonitis and back strain, according to state records. 
Such injuries account for an estimated 40 percent of all workers' 
compensation costs.

In response to howls of protest from businesses, however, 
Governor Gary Locke ordered a two-year delay in the 
implementation of the new rule. That meant the inspections and 
enforcement for large companies were not to begin until July 
2005, and most small employers had until 2008 to comply.

Faking the issues

Locke's action didn't satisfy the State's employers; it 
emboldened them. They put a well-financed referendum on the 2003 
ballot to kill the new safety and health regulation. Stooping to 
a new low, they named the anti-worker proposition "Workers 
Against Job-Killing Rules".

Corporate interests pulled out all stops to pass I-841, employing 
high-powered "Madison Avenue" advertisers to play on the weak 
economy of the region. Business leaders said the ergonomics rule 
would cost them more than $725 million(A$1 billion) a year.

The out-financed labour and people's movement was unable to show 
the full impact of doing away with the ergonomic legislation, and 
the proposition passed with 53 to 47 percent.

Oddly, while corporate America has been fighting on every level 
to kill ergonomics regulations, the US Navy has been doing the 
opposite, adopting virtually the same ergonomic rule that was 
passed by the Washington Legislature.

Rick Williams, president of the Bremerton Metal Trades Council 
said, "They know that avoiding preventable injuries saves money 
and improves mission readiness. It's really just common sense and 
it absolutely works".

The message from Washington State is clear, and it's one more big 
reason to defeat Bush in 2004. An over-the-top section of I-841 
states that even if the federal government enacts a strong 
ergonomic rule, it cannot be enforced in Washington!

That is how frightened corporate interests are of this 
regulation. So, let's dump Bush, enact a new ergonomic rule, and 
challenge this anti-worker proposition in Washington State.

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People's Weekly World, paper of Communist Party USA