The Truth about NAFTA: Good for the US. Bad for Mexico and its Workers. 4 Mar 2018, 7:09 pm

People in the US, most notably president Trump, are fueling criticism of NAFTA for being bad for US workers. But a closer look reveals most of the negative effects of NAFTA have been endured by workers in Mexico. At the very least, negotiations should be driven towards increased protections and labor standards so the promise NAFTA made to help improve the lives of workers in Mexico, can

India Charges Mining Baron With Fraud (New York Times) 6 Sep 2011, 2:59 pm

NEW DELHI — One of India’s most powerful mining barons, whose political clout and wealth have made him a controversial national figure, was arrested Monday as investigators raided his offices and seized about $1 million in cash and more than 66 pounds of gold.Until recently, the mining baron, Janardhana Reddy, was a kingmaker in the southern state of Karnataka, where his family and allies once

The Empty Promises of the Free Market 6 May 2011, 3:30 am

Photo by John AtteburyGovernment Regulation gets treated like the girl at the party no one invited. But it's the only thing that can save us now, and since we are generally undereducated when it comes to the way our governments, home loans, or credit cards work, I'm worried we may lose it. I don't see regulation as slipping the handcuffs over the Adam Smith's precious invisible hand, but telling

Chilean Miners are Set Free 12 Oct 2010, 11:43 pm

I am saddened to see what has happened to the coal miners in Chile, but am happy to see them being set free. In Chile, little regard is given to safety, and all focus is on production. Chile does not have the appropriate regulatory regime. US death rates have dropped dramatically with Mine Safety Organizations and Federal Government oversight. Some politicians in the United States have been

 31 Jul 2010, 7:28 pm

Recent news about workers in China has been exciting for labor movements. Labor unrest in China is becoming common place. Chinese workers are demanding fair pay and reasonable hours. Laborers are walking out of their jobs to demand higher pay and better working conditions. Labor activism can no longer be ignored by investors who are interested in doing business in China.

Silicosis Conference 11 Dec 2009, 4:07 am

Work-to-Live sponsored and participated in a conference held by OK International to address disease from Silica dust. Our role was mostly to document the discussion around Silicosis in the developing world. We hired a film crew from India who showed up with 12 people! I've never produced a film before, so managing 12 people proved to be a challenge. Not to mention the fact that I'm in India and

Trust 24 Nov 2009, 7:03 am

A bit of a rant, but here goes:My job is to make Twitter a better place to work; it's a fabulous place. Some people don't see the connection between my work at Twitter and my non-profit, but I'm essentially trying to do the same thing in both positions: build trust.What I've learned so far is that things go wrong when we give up faith in human reason. Why are we so ready to abandon trust in each

Logo 26 Oct 2009, 5:49 am

As we get ready for the big conference this December we finally decided on a logo. Let us know what you think! A big thanks to Maggie Klousia and Phil Pascuzzo!

Upcoming Workshop : Silica Hazards in Construction and Mining: Reducing Exposures and Preventing Disease 31 Aug 2009, 7:31 pm

Currently the International Work-to-Live Project is working with OK International (http://www.okinternational.org/) on hosting a National level meeting in New Delhi, India to build grassroots level awareness around environmental health issues. In cooperation with the Public Health Foundation of India, the World Bank, and various corporate partners, we are organizing a this workshop to encourage

An Overview of Occupational Health Research In India 27 May 2009, 7:51 pm

Recent industrialization and globalization are changing the Indian occupational morbidity drastically. Traditionally labor-oriented markets are on change towards more automation and mechanization, at the same time general awareness about occupational safety, occupational and environmental hazards were not spread in the society. This review by R.V. Agnihotram of the University of Montreal's

Ship-breaking Booming as Economy Worsens 26 Mar 2009, 9:16 pm

Ship-breaking along the Indian coast has been increasing exponentially as the global economy has continued to decline."Idle ships are a huge financial burden, so ship owners don't have any option but to get rid of their ships, even if it means scrapping them years ahead of schedule," said Vishnu Kumar Gupta, joint secretary at the Alang Ship Breakers Association. Alang has received more than 125

Bhopal at 25 - New Fallout Study in the Works 6 Mar 2009, 7:27 pm

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is funding a study to measure the fallout of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984. The official 25th Anniversary of the tragedy is this December. Many Indian Government officials feel that further investigation of the tragedy's fallout is neededAccording to some estimates, 25,000 people have died of gas-related diseases. Several thousands were maimed for

New Finnish Study Finds that Long Work Hours can Cause Rapid Mental Decline 5 Mar 2009, 10:57 pm

A new study from the the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health has found that longer work hours is leading to widespread decline in cognitive functions among employees working overtime hours. The study, "Long working hours and cognitive function: the Whitehall II study" was published in the February issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. The study was performed on over 2,000 British

On This Side of the Pond - Obama Wants More OSHA Funding 27 Feb 2009, 7:01 pm

As part of the administration's recently released budget proposals, President Obama is aiming for major increases in funding for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The document was released on Thursday says funding increases would allow the agency to "vigorously enforce workplace safety laws and whistleblower protections" that were largely ignored under the previous administration

Indian Government Aims to Reduce Workplace Stress 23 Feb 2009, 10:23 pm

A new policy by the Union of cabinet of India aims to reduce workplace stress in Indian offices. While most previous OSH legislation in India has focused on workplace safety in mines and factories, very few pieces of legislation has centered on white-collar OSH issues. This current piece of legislation pays particular attention to placing restrictions on workplace size. “The environment in the

OK International Highlights Lead Poisoning in the Developing World 22 Feb 2009, 8:43 pm

Perry Gottesfeld, the Executive Director of Occupational Knowledge International, recently gave an interview on the effects of lead poisoning in developing countries. The program focuses on exposure to lead batteries. Below is a short excerpt.There are 120 million people who are overexposed to lead around the world. That's three times the number infected by HIV AIDS. And this problem is going

IJOEH Publishes Winter 2009 Issue 7 Feb 2009, 12:04 am

The International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health was just released yesterday. There are no stories on Silicosis or India in the current issue, but there is a pretty excellent study on workplace injury in a Vietnamese workers' commune. There's also an editorial praising the Big Three American auto companies (Ford, GM, and Crysler) for their efforts to educate workers on the

Possible Link Between Silicosis and Lung Cancer Explored 5 Feb 2009, 1:15 am

A new study published by a team of researchers at the University of Cologne in Germany recently completed a study to determine if there is a link between silica exposure and lung cancer among workers who are not suffering from silicosis. They combed through past studies published over the past 42 years on the subject. Their findings were inconclusive, but they feel that additional research is

UK Zones in on Silicosis at Small Businesses 26 Jan 2009, 8:30 pm

The UK Government recently launched a new campaign to better educate small businesses on the harmful effects of silicosis.Many small contractors are still unaware of the dangers of silica dust, the Health and Safety Executive has warned. Dr Robert Ellis – from the regulator's chemicals risk management unit, which is leading the HSE's "Clean the Air" campaign – said despite a marked increase in

Survey Says Worksite Clinics Gaining in Popularity 10 Jan 2009, 11:28 pm

A new report details how worksite clinics are gaining in popularity in the US. The survey, by Mercer LLC, also found that 14 percent of these clinics are providing primary care to workers. The growing expense of health care plans is cited as one of the main reasons for this increased dependence. Perhaps, the most telling part of the study was the services that the companies are considering to

New Hazardous Materials Site Makes WSJ List of Top Health Sites 7 Jan 2009, 8:05 pm

HazMap, an awesome site developed by the National Institutes of Health, was listed in the Wall Street Journal's annual list of top new (or improved) health sites. HazMap includes a multitude of chemical profiles of agents that pose a potential occupational risk. The site also includes profiles of high risk jobs.According to the Journal's article, "The site recently added 180 new chemical profiles

Perfecting Economics at the Village Level 3 Jan 2009, 11:45 pm

Are you interested in Esther Duflo, an economist at MIT, recently received an honorable mention in an Economist article on young economists. Duflo's work has focused on moving development economics away from concentrating solely on policies, but instead to approach the discipline through field work at the community level. She and her colleagues conduct randomized trials of development projects

Bush and OSHA: the End of an Era? 31 Dec 2008, 2:08 pm

As the final days of the Bush Administration slowly melt into history, so many final histories on each department and agency are being published by several news organizations. A final note on OSHA was not lost in the mix.The AP published a seemingly blistering report the perceived politicization of the agency over the last eight years.In early 2001, an epidemiologist at the Occupational Safety

Indian Health Minister Pushes Yoga in the Classroom: Good Workplace Model? 29 Dec 2008, 9:30 pm

The Indian Government is proposing mandatory yoga instruction at all of the country's primary schools according to the Indian news blog, Good Read. Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss noted that yoga has been proven to reduce diabetes, hypertension, and stress.Adult-onset diabetes has been linked to risk factors like ageing, an inactive lifestyle, unhealthy diets, smoking, alcohol and obesity.The

Bahrain Invests in OSH Training 28 Dec 2008, 4:01 am

The Kingdom of Bahrain has pledged to train nearly 200 OSH professionals through its government-funded labor fund, Tamkeem. Like many other developing economies, Bahrain has found itself awash with reports of occupational health injuries and disease, yet there are few professionals in the country certified in the discipline.Quoted in the Gulf Daily News, the project's managing director, Hassan