Indiana: Bill Proposes Prison Time for Employers that Flout Safety Laws Occupational Hazards
"The corporate culture has developed a mindset that it is better to address potential safety violations by paying a small fine instead of actively working to correct the problems," Stevenson said. "Through this bill, I want to make employers understand that there are consequences when they show they don't care about keeping their workers safe."
USWA Local 1010 President Tom Hargrove noted that the legislation originated from meetings conducted by local union presidents.
"At my plant, Mittal Steel Indiana Harbor East, we have a joint safety program, and we work together diligently to prevent accidents," Hargrove said. "In a perfect world, this is how it should work, but workers should not have to depend on the goodwill of the bosses for their safety.