Cherie Berry: Tracking workplace injuries a waste of money

Submitted by scharrison on Fri, 10/08/2010 - 10:17am

Labor Management Commissioner at odds with OSHA:

A high-ranking federal OSHA official took sharp issue with recent comments by N.C. Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry, saying her critique of a federal program was "rife with errors."

"We reject their notion that the way to make North Carolina workplaces safer is through higher penalties, 'shaming' businesses through the media, beefing up enforcement, relegating consultation efforts to the back row, and a one-size-fits-all approach," Berry wrote in an e-mail. "I'll go after the bad apples but we must have consultation, education and training as part of an effective safety and health program."

Translation: "If we have to keep track of all these pesky injuries, it makes it harder for us to do nothing about them."

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Bad apples

Submitted by James on Fri, 10/08/2010 - 10:19am.

WTF? How the hell does Berry even know who to "go after" when she hasn't spent one second of her entire time in elected office actually caring about worker safety?

Do good. Be nice. Have fun.

"Shaming"

Submitted by scharrison on Fri, 10/08/2010 - 11:01am.

Cherie Berry doesn't think it's a good idea "shaming" businesses who create unsafe conditions for workers, but maybe that's because she's ashamed of her own behavior:

R.N. Rouse and Co. Since 2005, five managers and executives of this construction company have given $2,750 to Berry's campaign. All but one of the contributions came on the same day in 2007, about the time the firm hosted a reception for Berry. N.C. OSHA has cited Rouse for nine serious violations since Berry entered office, and the total proposed fines – $4,100 – were cut to $613.

House of Raeford. Executives and managers of this N.C. poultry company have contributed at least $15,000 to Berry's campaigns. Since 2001, N.C. OSHA has cited the firm for more than 60 serious violations – some following chemical accidents that killed one worker and sent 17 others to the hospital. Inspectors proposed about $117,000 in fines, but the fines were reduced to $26,500.

Pike Electric. Employees, along with the company's political action committee, gave about $60,000 to Berry's campaign in 2000 – more than a third of her total donations that year. At the time, a significant OSHA case was pending against Pike. That case was settled in 2002, and the proposed fines – totaling $56,700 – were cut to $3,200.

In all, Pike employees have contributed nearly $80,000 to Berry's three campaigns. Other OSHA fines proposed since 2001 – totaling about $25,000 – have been cut to $6,300.