Health and Safety Matters

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Okay, more links to the New York Times—because really, who reads that little rag anyway? Arlen Specter goes op-ed style bashing the Republican opposition to his proposed asbestos fund that would have companies set aside $140 billion to compensate asbestos victims. In particular, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey has run ads around the country spreading lies and falsehoods about the new bill in order to defeat it. And as you might guess, Armey’s lobbying firm has received serious money from insurance companies who would like to defeat the bill.

But it’s not quite as simple as blaming Armey and other bought-and-paid-for Republicans, although that’s a big part of it. Jordan Barab of Labor Blog noted a month ago that a wide variety of groups are still wrangling over the provisions. The AFL-CIO has charged that the bill eliminated compensation for a number of lung cancer victims, and contains a whole bunch of clauses that may prevent many workers harmed by asbestos from receiving compensation. Trial lawyers want bigger fees. Senate Republicans are opposed to the measure. There’s still a question over whether workers could return to court if and when the fund runs out. It’s not at all clear that the final legislation will be anything approaching fair for workers.

Meanwhile, there’s a related issue here that Jordan’s been working on for some time: Namely, the fact that the AFL-CIO is now dismantling its Health and Safety Department. Lobbying and testifying on the asbestos bill was the sort of thing the department was highly useful for, although Jordan also notes that it’s most important function was to: “provide the knowledge, tools and organization that workers can use to defend their rights, their health and their lives when they go to work every day.” In an era where the administration in power is assaulting worker safety regulations each and every day—and, as the asbestos flap proves, key Republican lobbyists are pouring millions into defeating compensation for harmed workers—union solidarity against this assault has become all the more important, and the death of the department is extremely troubling.

WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

If you can, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones—that exists to make a difference, not a profit—with a donation of any amount today. We need more donations than normal to come in from this specific blurb to help close our funding gap before it gets any bigger.

payment methods

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