ABSTRACT
The United States of America (U.S.A) is a constitutional bourgeois-dominated democracy. As in other capitalist nations, the unsteady rhythm of boom and bust has taken its toll in human misery. U.S.A. unions have long faced an uphill battle in protecting the interests of American workers. Organized labor has been on the defensive in the U.S.A. for some time. But in recent years, especially under the conservative regime in power since 1980, the blows have been heavy indeed. The early history of occupational safety and health (OSH) in the U.S.A. includes both safety and health disasters. At the policy level, there is not even an OSH services standard as a part of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act of 1970. Sponsorship and control of OSH services and conditions is essentially in the hands of the capitalist class. OSH services in plants are not at all respected by the workers as they are usually total creatures of management and often incompetent.
