Posted on 01/03/2002 5:20:26 AM PST by Hugh Akston
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush (news - web sites) has been focusing more attention on labor issues of late, much to the chagrin of major union officials.
Bush has repealed a Clinton-era rule favored by unions that prevents the government from awarding contracts to businesses that have broken environmental, labor, tax or other federal laws.
He also has threatened a recess appointment of conservative labor lawyer Eugene Scalia, son of Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia (news - web sites), to inspector general at the Labor Department (news - web sites).
The Bush administration also has announced plans to eliminate the 10 regional offices of the Women's Bureau of the Labor Department and failed to deal with workplace safety after Congress repealed ergonomics regulations last spring.
Since the administration turned to labor issues, said the AFL-CIO's Karen Nussbaum, ``There's been plenty of action. It's been all negative.''
President Clinton (news - web sites) signed the lawbreaking contractor rule in 2000, a few months after a computer analysis by The Associated Press found hundreds of contractors remained eligible for new federal business despite convictions or lawsuits for defrauding the government.
The Bush administration had suspended enforcement of the rule in March and repealed it for good last week.
Business groups praised repeal, contending the regulation went too far and unfairly blacklisted companies that had minor infractions or had not been proved guilty.
``This rule gave government agents blanket discretion to blacklist federal contractors based on subjective and arbitrary notions of satisfactory compliance with any federal, state or even foreign law,'' said Randy Johnson, U.S. Chamber of Commerce (news - web sites) vice president for labor and employee benefits. ``Mere allegations of wrongdoing could prevent a business from winning a federal contract.''
The chamber organized the National Alliance Against Blacklisting and lobbied Congress with other business groups.
Union officials retorted that a violator of labor, employment, environmental, civil rights or other federal laws cannot be trusted to receive government contracts.
``To ordinary citizens who play by the rules every day, the Bush administration has said that it's OK for corporations that violate the law to be rewarded with millions of taxpayer dollars,'' the AFL-CIO said.
Unions also are bracing for a Bush recess appointment of Scalia, which means he could serve without Senate confirmation until next January. The Senate went on its holiday break without taking up the nomination.
Scalia refused to discuss his nomination Wednesday. Organized labor opposes the appointment because of Scalia's opposition to a Clinton-era ergonomics regulation, killed by Congress last spring, which was aimed at reducing workplace injuries. Scalia criticized the rule as ``quackery'' based on ``junk science.'' Ergonomics deals with human characteristics to be considered in the design and arrangement of things to prevent injury to people who use them.
Unions also are awaiting a decision by Labor Secretary Elaine Chao about how the agency will handle workplace safety, with new regulations or voluntary guidelines.
Congress repealed Clinton-era regulations last year after a big legislative fight that pitted business against labor unions. The regulations mandated that employers make changes to reduce the incidence of worker injuries related to ergonomics. After the repeal, Chao promised a ``comprehensive plan'' by her agency to reduce such injuries.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (news - web sites) spokeswoman Bonnie Friedman said Wednesday she did not know when the announcement would come.
``Instead of taking an opportunity to build on progress made during the Clinton administration, the Department of Labor under President Bush and Secretary Chao seems intent on unraveling those gains,'' AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said.
The Bush administration also is considering elimination of 10 regional offices of the Labor Department's Women's Bureau, but Labor spokeswoman Sue Hensley said no decision has been made. The White House Women's Initiatives Office already has been shut down.
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On the Net: Labor Department: http://www.dol.gov/
Occupational Safety and Health Administration: http://www.osha.gov/
AFL-CIO: http://www.aflcio.org/home.htm
President Bush (news - web sites) has been focusing more attention on labor issues of late, much to the chagrin of major union officials.Gee, one would think Labor leaders would be thrilled to have labor issues brought to the forefront. Wonder why they are chagrined?
Attention Jesse Jackson. Cash flow leakage on aisle 12!
Notice also that they have got the spin going on this one:
``To ordinary citizens who play by the rules every day, the Bush administration has said that it's OK for corporations that violate the law to be rewarded with millions of taxpayer dollars,'' the AFL-CIO said.
Clinton enacts something that can blacklist a company that violates the law or is alleged to have done so, and when it is repealed, they totally ignore that or part.
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