In Wichita, we held a dinner to recognize the 46,800 Kansans injured and 85 killed due to job hazards and 4000 who died due to occupational diseases.

In 2006, more than 4.1 million workers were injured and 5,840 workers were killed due to job hazards. Another 50,000 – 60,000 died due to occupational diseases. Since 1992, the number of fatalities among Hispanic workers has increased by 86 percent, from 533 fatalities in 1992 to 990 fatalities in 2006. Penalties for unsafe workplaces are embarrassingly low. In Kansas, the average fine for a serious safety violation that can cause injury or death is $537!

“Cuts and rollbacks under the Bush Administration have made our fight for safe jobs harder,” said Judy Pierce, President of the Wichita/Hutchinson Labor Federation. “It’s time for Congress and the next president to ensure our nation's health and safety laws measure up to the promise of good jobs, safe jobs, for all.”

While we don’t know yet who the next president will be, we do know that the candidates’ voting records on safety and health protections are in stark contrast. Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are strong supporters of workers, unions and strong workplace safety and health protections. Both have committed to strong OSHA enforcement and restoring ergonomic protections.

John McCain, on the other hand, has voted against virtually every worker safety measure that’s come up during his 26 years in Congress. He opposed a field sanitation standard to provide farm workers drinking water and toilets in the fields. He opposed strengthening criminal penalties for willful OSHA violations when workers are killed or seriously injured. He opposed notifying workers at high risk of occupational disease because of workplace exposures. And in 2001 he joined President Bush and other Republicans to kill the OSHA ergonomics standard. We have called on Senator McCain to leave those policies behind.