The conventional view, fostered by labor unions and the Democrats, is that Republicans are in the pocket of the big corporations and prefer a weaker OSHA. Of course, that’s a gross and unfair oversimplification.

Bush’s OSHA is considerably different from Clinton’s, most significantly in its lack of interest in promulgating new standards. However, on the enforcement side, the argument can be made that the Bush policy of targeted inspections and promotion of voluntary compliance has proven at least as if not more effective than the traditional approach of throwing a lot of resources at random inspections that don’t necessarily correlate to real risk.

The point is this: The Democrat/Republican differences with regard to OSHA are much more complex than presented in the media. And, adding to the complexity is the fact that the Republican Candidate, John McCain, is anything but a typical Republican. Wednesday, we outlined Barack Obama’s positions. Now let’s look at John McCain’s.

JOHN McCAIN

Bio: Born in the Panama Canal Zone, Aug. 29, 1936. Father and grandfathers Admirals in the U.S. Navy. Graduated U.S. Naval Academy 1958 and became navy pilot. Shot down during bombing run over North Vietnam in 1967. Spent five and a half years as a prisoner of war, including periods of torture. Released in 1973. Awarded Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver Star and Legion of Merit. Retired from navy in 1981. Served two terms in House of Representatives from Arizona starting in 1983. Elected to U.S. Senate in 1986. Sought Republican presidential nomination but defeated by George W. Bush in 2000.

The McCain Safety Record

McCain is known as a maverick who has sided against the Republican position on some notable issues, including campaign finance reform. Like Obama, McCain doesn’t bring up OSHA on the campaign trail and hasn’t set out a coherent statement of policy on workplace safety. But he does have an extensive legislative record.

Ergonomics: McCain voted to repeal the OSHA ergonomic standard in 2001. And he hasn’t changed his position. McCain considered the Clinton standard unwieldy and unnecessarily burdensome to business. “We can definitively say that there would not be a new ergonomics rule if we are elected,” a McCain staffer is quoted as saying, “Senator McCain does not take the issue lightly. But he would not impose the economic burden on businesses that a standard would almost certainly have.”

OSHA Reform: McCain opposes S. 1244, the Protecting America’s Workers Act, a 2007 bill co-sponsored by Obama and Senator Ted Kennedy that would:

• Extend OSHA coverage to public employees;
• Raise the maximum fine for OSHA violations to $250,000;
• Provide for possible criminal penalties for employers in cases of fatalities; and
• Increase whistleblower protections for workers who raise safety concerns.

Mine Safety: McCain fully supported a 2006 bill that the Mining Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) called “the most significant piece of mine safety legislation in 30 years.”

First Responders: McCain has also been a lifelong advocate of first responders and in 2007 introduced a bill with the catchy name—SAVE LIVES ACT (Spectrum Availability for Emergency Response and Law Enforcement Act to Improve Vital Emergency Services Act, S. 744) that would require the Federal Communications Commission to provide more radio spectrum for public safety organizations’ use.

Asbestos Reform: McCain supports a Republican bill that would make it harder for persons with mesothelioma and other asbestos related diseases to bring class action lawsuits against employers and asbestos manufacturers. Sponsors of the bill claim that reform is necessary to get asbestos litigation under control.

Fire Safety: McCain sponsored the U.S. Fire Administration Reauthorization Act authorizing funding of the U.S. Fire Administration and making it independent of FEMA. He’s also supported legislation granting fire departments nearly $1 billion to buy equipment and providing other funding.

General Regulatory Philosophy

Although he is very much his own man, McCain makes no apologies for his beliefs in the tenets of conservatism. Among these is the commitment to less government. McCain has called for not just the reform but the reorientation of the federal workforce. He has attacked the civil service for its bureaucratic culture. His call for a new generation of civil servants infused with commitment to “higher aspirations” and a “greater sense of purpose” represents something akin to a conservative version of the public service philosophy of John F. Kennedy.

Rhetoric

In an August interview with journalist, Mark Sayre: “OSHA is a very important part of America for the American worker. It goes back to the days of Teddy Roosevelt, when they had terrible conditions in some American workplaces. We have an obligation, as a federal government, to do what we can to help protect the lives and safety of the American worker.”

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