Needed by labor and despised by business, OSHA may be workers' best friend in government, but critics say OSHA has never been weaker or less worker-friendly. Recent studies show that United States labor laws have loopholes, are poorly enforced, and fail to meet human rights standards that our nation requires of other countries. Titan International, an Illinois-based company, has been under fire lately at its plant and at other subsidiary locations. Titan's Des Moines plant has stymied five attempts by Iowa OSHA to inspect some twenty-three complaints lodged by workers. Titan workers are being maimed across the country.
Workers say it is usually the result of decrepit machines, minimal training and punishing hours.
These include, but are not limited to, illegally moving jobs and equipment to avoid a union contract, refusing to bargain in good faith, discriminating against union members, and trying to permanently replace striking workers. Union officials say that fines are too low and that companies, even in worker death cases, are only getting slapped on the wrist. Baysinger died two days later of asphyxia-related symptoms. Another death occurred at the Des Moines plant in November 1999. Nearly 2,000 gallons of highly flammable heptane poured unnoticed onto the ground and headed into the street.