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News & Analysis | REG•WATCH Blog | Press Room
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
The Bush Administration's Chummy Deal with Wal-Mart
Most people by now have read the news coverage of the Labor Dep't Inspector General report criticizing DOL for its chummy settlement with Wal-Mart in which it pledged to give Wal-Mart advance notice before it comes in to inspect for violations. If you want to read the report for yourself, click here to download it.
Among the highlights:
- "Wal-Mart attorneys author[ed] key provisions of the Wal-Mart agreement." Of course, letting industry write its own rules is a pattern for the Bush administration.
- "The Wal-Mart agreement required jointly developed press releases, in violation of stated [DOL press policy]." Giving industry approval over Bush administration press releases? -- also not new (click here and jump to page 24 of the PDF).
- "The agreement between Wal-Mart and [DOL] was significantly different from other agreements entered into by [DOL]. Specifically, the Wal-Mart agreement has the most far-reaching restrictions on [DOL]'s authority to conduct investigations and assess [civil penalties]."
On this last point -- could the Bush administration be so chummy with Wal-Mart that it would put the public at risk? If this child labor case isn't bad enough, consider the White House's endorsement of industry's call for an anti-regulatory hit list that includes, among other things, allowing companies that aren't in the trucking business but have workers who drive trucks to force those workers to spend even more time on the job -- what some call a "Wal-Mart rule."
Posted by Robert Shull
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