OSHA and on the Waterfront Signed Into Essay

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 943 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 5

Page 1 of 3

OSHA and on the Waterfront

Signed into law on December 29th, 1970 by President Richard M. Nixon, the Occupational Safety and Health Act recognized the government's role in protecting the American worker from hazards and threats in the workplace. Throughout most of the industrial age, the safety of the worker has been of little concern to those who own and operate businesses. And while the concerns for the safety were forced upon the owners of businesses, mostly through the pressure of unions, the government spent little effort disrupting the profits of business by inserting itself into the issue. That was until the late 1960's when American society became much more aware of the rights of various groups, including workers, and demanded that the safety of the worker be considered as a major concern.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a federal agency assigned to ensure that the provisions of the act are enforced and workers are guaranteed a safe and healthy workplace environment. As a result of this agency, modern workers can be relatively assured that their safety and health are being guarded. In the past, however, this was not always the case, not only did business owners disregard the safety of their employees in favor of greater profits, but sometimes used "accidents" as a means of control and intimidation. Examples of these types of violent tactics can be seen in the classic film On The Waterfront, where corrupt union bosses and factory owners allow for the safety and health of workers to be exploited for profit, and use "accidents" as a means of intimidation and retribution.

Stuck Writing Your "OSHA and on the Waterfront Signed Into" Essay?

View All Our Example OSHA and on the Waterfront Signed Into Essay

Have A Custom Example Essay Written



The safety of the worker has always been tied to the legitimate labor movement which "knew that underpaid, overwork red, and poorly fed workers were more likely to be injured or incapacitated on the job." (Rosner, 1989) Dock workers in On The Waterfront are forced to work long hours, in exhausting conditions, with no regard for their health or safety. In the film, corrupt union officials allow their workers to be exploited and overtly elicit bribes, intimidate, and even use violence against their members. One of the characters, a worker named Kayo Dugan who intends to testify before a corruption commission is killed when the foreman arranges an accident. (On The Waterfront, 2001, 52:00) The "accident" is meant not only to stop a worker from testifying and exposing corruption, but also as a means of intimidation to the other workers. While the character Kayo Dugan's "accident" was in truth murder, in addition to minimizing the numbers of real accidents, OSHA is also responsible to ensure that unscrupulous business owners or corrupt union officials cannot conspire to arrange "accidents" for troublesome employees.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's webpage, it's mission is "to ensure safe….....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"OSHA And On The Waterfront Signed Into" (2011, October 01) Retrieved June 13, 2026, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/osha-waterfront-signed-52258

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"OSHA And On The Waterfront Signed Into" 01 October 2011. Web.13 June. 2026. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/osha-waterfront-signed-52258>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"OSHA And On The Waterfront Signed Into", 01 October 2011, Accessed.13 June. 2026,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/osha-waterfront-signed-52258
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example