On Tuesday, the State Senate passed Special Session Senate Bill 1 (SS SB1). The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO is extremely disappointed with this decision. The State Assembly is expected to vote on the same flawed proposal as Special Session Assembly Bill 1 (SS AB1) sometime today.
Though this Special Session was called to address job creation, there was not one additional job promised by anyone who testified at the hearing in support of SS SB/AB 1, during almost 10 hours of testimony. One business owner who testified in support was asked if he would hire more workers if the new corporate liability limits became law. He decried it as a trick question and refused to say that he would hire any more employees. At least he was honest.
It only helps confirm that this legislation is not about job creation. The “business climate” sought by this bill is one that sharply limits real accountability to citizens for corporate indifference to worker safety and health, the production and sale of harmful products, and reckless conduct that results in injury or death. It denies meaningful remedies in the courts for workers who are injured or killed on the job, as well as consumers and other ordinary citizens who have suffered harm. It undermines an essential element of our system of liability law—to act as a meaningful deterrent so that there are many fewer victims.
Victims such as ironworkers Jeffrey Wischer, William DeGrave and Jerome Starr who fell to their deaths from a crane basket during the construction of Miller Park stadium in Milwaukee, when portions of the roof were being installed. A jury concluded that Mitsubishi Corporation disregarded the safety rights of the workers when its agents insisted that a crane operator hoist a roof load in very high winds, when no wind speed calculations had been made, and the crane was lifting a load of nearly one million pounds, exceeding its limitations. Construction employees had been alarmed about conditions, but were told by management: “… that we were hired from the neck down…that we were basically hired as a labor force and they would do the thinking, and we would do the labor.” *
The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO stands ready to work together with anyone in a sincere effort to retain and create family-sustaining jobs in our communities, but that is not what SS SB/AB 1 is about.
We continue to oppose this legislation, and we thank each and every union member who took the time to contact their elected officials about it.
Please join us as we continue to fight for the creation of high quality jobs.
The easiest way to get involved is to "like" the Wisconsin Jobs Watch Facebook page:
http://facebook.com/job.o.meter
*Wischer, et al v. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America. Inc. et al, 2005 WI 2. Testimony in deposition by Kirt Upton, pages 205-208.
We need to raise the issue of limiting the law suit amounts- a company can make millions with poor/ unsafe behavior - which could alter or kill but those sufferring can only qualify for 200,000 that is wrong. That is why big business paid for Walker to get in office. He is not for working Americans. He is for rich!!!! Make hin a one term guy!!!!!
Posted by: jerry | 01/21/2011 at 09:32 AM