OSHA Fails American Workers During Pandemic. By: Edward Liger Smith

Going into the 2020 election, the Covid-19 pandemic and Government response, will be an important issue for most American workers. The working masses of America continue to feel negative effects from the pandemic, as Republicans and Democrats in Congress squabble over the details of a second stimulus check for workers. Many jobs have been labeled “essential,” meaning they must be continually done in order for society to function. Those who work as grocery store cashiers, bus drivers, child care providers, and meat packers, are putting themselves at risk daily just by going in to work. At a time like this the Federal Agency OSHA is essential for protecting the safety of American Workers. OSHA’s stated purpose is to ensure safe working conditions by enforcing safety standards. While OSHA is always important for the health and safety of working Americans, during a pandemic proper enforcement of safety standards can become a matter of life and death. During the Pandemic 10,000 complaints have been filed to OSHA by workers. The response of OSHA has been to issue only 2 citations to businesses for failure to follow safety standards. [1] Reports from various workplaces have begun to appear, accusing OSHA of failing to properly inspect those workplaces being accused of violations. The Trump administration has repeatedly downsized the agency, and pushed them to be increasingly pro-business. The failure of OSHA during the pandemic shows just how vulnerable American workers are, and how the ruling class attempts to dismantle any institutions workers create to protect themselves.

While companies continue to pump out advertisements praising the bravery of their so called “essential workers,” those same companies seem to have little care for the health of those same essential workers. In Franklin Wisconsin much of the meat goes through Strauss Brands meatpacking plant. Christopher Cook of The Progressive wrote an incredible piece titled Killing Workers Safety. Cook interviewed Maria Ramirez who contracted Covid-19 while working at Strauss meatpacking plant. Ramirez said that her workplace took almost no precautions to prevent the spread of Covid. She talks about the constant fear she and her coworkers lived in, worrying that they would catch the virus at work, and bring it home to their families. The employees made multiple complaints to the company, all of which were ignored. After Ramirez’s worst fears came true, contracting the virus at work, she found herself coughing up blood, and without the ability to see a doctor. She complained to the company, and was subsequently fired for speaking out. After being fired, Ramirez and 27 of her coworkers, worked together with the nonprofit group Voces de la Frontera to put constant pressure on OSHA into providing some compensation. OSHA finally agreed to provide minor compensation to the angered workers. [2]

OSHA’s choice to provide compensation in the situation of the Strauss meatpacking workers was rare, and took a concerted effort from workers in order to force the agency into action. At other times, they have reportedly done nothing at all in response to worker complaints. Employees at the Maid-rite meat packing plant in Pennsylvania told Bryce Covert of The American Prospect that OSHA had been consistently ignoring their many complaints. After a concerted effort from concerned employees to convince OSHA to perform an inspection, the agency finally agreed. However, OSHA did not follow standard protocol, which says they’re supposed to show up for the inspection unannounced. Instead, they called the Maid-rite 24 hours in advance, to warn them when the inspection would be happening. In response, the company told workers to wear face shields, and stand six feet apart as the inspection was happening, then continued with business as usual when the inspectors left. [3]
 
This blatant failure to protect workers during a deadly pandemic shows how truly disrespected and devalued the working class has become in America. Although society recognizes that the labour of these workers is essential, we don’t feel the need to protect those doing the essential work. The capitalists, who can’t help themselves but to squeeze every last penny they can from the working class, won’t even allow the existence of an agency which ensures workers not be put in life threatening situations at the work place. Capital seeks to destroy even the most minor existing protections which labour has fought for. The most powerful man in the country, President Donald Trump, currently sits ahead an administration filled with wealthy businessmen and banking executives. The powers of the government/state rest in the hands of the capitalists, and they are doing everything in their power to destroy any worker protections which may halt the flow of their capital. Only through the solidarity and organization of workers, like that of the Strauss meatpacking employees, can the working class strengthen protections for ourselves.

While the 2020 election offers no candidates who will truly fight for workers in Washington, issues such as this, the deregulation of OSHA, are why I am making the reluctant decision to vote for Joe Biden this year. While many conspiracy minded American’s think the pandemic will disappear November 3rd at the conclusion of the election, in truth we will likely be battling this virus for a good while longer. While Biden’s donors won’t be enthusiastic about his administration strengthening OSHA, I believe with enough public demand, we can force Biden to appoint more pro labour administrators to OSHA. And the more pro labour people there are in any section of the government, the better.

While these stories of workers who are alive to tell their stories may outrage us, we aren’t even mentioning here the many who have died. There is no doubt that many of the 215,000 people who have died from Covid-19 contracted the virus while at work. The death toll continues to rise as many American’s continue to demand the economy be reopened. Demands being made both by wealthy businessmen, and American workers who desperately need to work in order to get their next paycheck. While the media is often hyper critical of Trump, the administration’s response to the Pandemic has truly been a failure, and as a result people have lost their lives. Decisions to deregulate Wall Street, and downsize workers safety agencies despite a deadly pandemic, truly highlights how organized capital seeks to roll back any advances made by organized labour, despite the human costs it may have on the working class.

If workers are to have any kind of future we must realize the necessity of organizing, and fighting. Understand that those who hold power in the country will take even your most basic protections from you if it means protecting their wealth. Let’s organize, let’s fight, and let us demand that whoever ends up as President this November strengthen OSHA, and stand with workers. Or else expect mass resistance.



Citations


[1] Covert, Bryce. “How OSHA Went AWOL During the Pandemic.” The American Prospect, October 6, 2020. https://prospect.org/labor/how-osha-went-awol-during-the-pandemic/.

[2]Cook, Christopher D. “Killing Worker Safety.” Progressive.org, October 12, 2020. https://progressive.org/magazine/killing-worker-safety-cook/.
 

[3] Covert, Bryce. “How OSHA Went AWOL During the Pandemic.” The American Prospect, October 6, 2020. https://prospect.org/labor/how-osha-went-awol-during-the-pandemic/. 

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About the Author:
​My name is Edward and I am from Sauk City, Wisconsin. I received my B.A. in Political Science from Loras College, where I was a former NCAA wrestling All-American, and active wrestling coach. My main interest are in Geopolitics and the role of American imperialism with relation to socialist states, specifically China and Venezuela.  ​I also worked for Bernie Sanders' campaign in 2020.