crater left at fertilizer plant explosion

Workers’ memorial Day April 28th

Overshadowed by the the bombing at the Boston Marathon, the explosion of the fertilizer plant in West, Texas is to me a much more significant event. The event in Boston is most likely a one off event by a couple of young men who had somehow strayed into the dark side of religion and tried to make their mark with their god that way. Or at least that is the way it appears on the surface. Or I could believe Alex Jones and see terrorists every direction I turn.

Unfortunately for Mr. Jones I do not see terrorists every direction I turn. What I do see every direction I turn, though, is exploited workers. People whose wages have been squeezed, people whose unions have been disbanded, people whose lives are being jerked around by employers and people whose jobs are now being done in Mexico, Bangladesh, Viet Nam or China.

Thus the American worker has become a pawn in the ever downward spiral of the value of human work. The safety of employees is something that many companies in this country have merely given lip service to while growing the bottom line is of much greater importance. Coal mine cave ins and workplace fires have been all too common in the past. It seem that oil industry plant explosions have always been common.

However, now that the economy is sluggish and enforcement agencies are being starved, companies can cut corners on safety and feel somewhat untouchable. So the fertilizer plant in West, Texas had 1,350 times the legal amount of unsafe materials on hand, no sprinklers, no blast walls, no warning system etc. The plant was a tinder box ready to blow. There had been no outside inspection for nearly 30 years. And for first responders, they had no idea that chemicals were on the premises, thus using water on the fire and making it even worse.

The list of violations that resulted in the death of at least 14 persons is long. Should those in charge be charged with at least manslaughter? I would say they should be charged with murder since they had to know that conditions for a potential disaster existed. Yet I can’t think of one instance where those in charge of such a situation are given the death penalty or even a day in jail.

And even after the disaster, the governor of Texas goes around the country bragging that Texas has few regulations and they don’t enforce those. He is proud of the conditions that led to nearly a score of deaths and hundreds of injured. Our country has turned upside down since the advent of Reaganism. Now the death of our citizens at the altar of capitalism is barely news. When we talk about the altar of capitalism we must include the even sadder circumstances in Bangladesh where workers were forced into an obviously weak building. Hundreds died there doing WHAT? Sewing shirts so Americans can pay little or nothing for their labor?

Think about these deaths next time you return to work. You can help effect some change. First quit buying at the big box stores that create the near slavery that resulted in the current tragedy in Bangladesh and a previous one a couple of months ago. Take a look to see what is made in America and spend a couple extra bucks. http://www.americansworking.com/

Second, call on your congress critter and ask he or she what their stance is on workplaces that are potential death traps. It is time for Comgress to put some teeth back into OSHA. If you work in America, you have a greater chance of being killed on the job than ever even seeing a terrorist. Last year nearly 5,000 Americans died in workplace “accidents”, many more than died on 9/11.

Mike Elk of ‘In These Times’ magazine is one of the best yet least known writers on labor issues. Please take a few moments and read his take on the West, Texas explosions. It is very sobering. He begins:

On Friday, as cable news networks sought desperately to fill airtime while waiting for the latest news in the aftermath of the Boston bombings, a friend asked me, “How come there’s no manhunt for the owner of the Texas factory, which did far more damage than the Boston bombers?” He was right to wonder……….