OSHA remains underfunded, understaffed and unarmed with penalties high enough to deter violations, according to the AFL-CIO’s annual report on occupational fatalities in the U.S., which provides background analysis in addition to the data.

Peg Seminario, longtime director of health and safety for the AFL-CIO, told ISHN in an exclusive day after the election interview, “We don’t buy at all the claim that regulations kill jobs. Quite the opposite, according to recent research.”

Almost a half century (47 years) after publication of the book Unsafe at Any Speed, which uncovered auto companies unwillingness to spend money on safety features — Ralph Nader has a new organization in his sights as he pursues safety issues — the AFL-CIO.