Wal-Mart Trucking Abuses Kill
By The man who fell asleep at the wheel of his truck and rammed the back of Tracy Morgan’s limousine of course worked for Wal-Mart and had not slept for 24 hours.
This is not surprising at all. Wal-Mart has long been accused of pushing truckers to the limit. All the companies push drivers to the limit for profit, endangering not only the drivers but also everyday drivers on the road.
Of course, Republicans think that drivers falling asleep at the wheel is OK:
Days before Morgan’s accident thrust trucking safety into the news, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved legislation that would undo rules that only went into effect last year that mandated certain rest periods for truck drivers. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) added an amendment to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill that would suspend a regulation that truck drivers rest for 34 consecutive hours, including two nights from 1:00 AM to 5:00 AM, before driving again.
“With one amendment, we’re doing away with rules we worked years to develop,” Izer said Monday.
Another reminder that “moderate Republicans” are only moderate on social policy; on labor issues they are as bad as any Tea Partier.