Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Shame on Elaine: New Web site exposes anti-worker Labor Secretary Elaine Chao
You might assume, judging by the name, that the U.S. Department of Labor is concerned with people who labor for a living.
But you would be wrong.
Under Anti-Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, the government agency has rolled back critical mine safety programs, diluted ergonomics safety laws, advised big business on how to avoid paying workers overtime, supported suspension of prevailing wage laws in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and has taken many other actions against America's workers.
In response, American Rights at Work has launched ShameOnElaine, a Web site detailing the anti-worker actions of President Bush's longest-serving Cabinet member.
American Rights at Work, created in 2003 to advance democracy in the workplace, said it wants to give people the opportunity to weigh in on Chao's legacy.
"Americans deserve a secretary of labor who can provide a well-balanced approach to the interests of both business and labor," says Executive Director Mary Beth Maxwell, "not an ideologue with a blatant political agenda."
Chao is steeped in conservative ideology. She was a Distinguished Fellow with the Heritage Foundation, considered one of the world's most influential right-wing think tanks, and is married to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who has voted against workers 89 percent of the time he's held office, according to the AFL-CIO.
ShameOnElaine is a campaign that builds on American Rights at Work's role in monitoring the National Labor Relations Board and the agenda of business-funded groups that attack worker rights at every opportunity.
In Chao's case, there's plenty to monitor. Go see for yourself at ShameOnElaine.org.