The Spark

the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist

“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx

Bedrock Skirts Safety in Detroit

Jan 21, 2019

Dan Gilbert and his development firm, Bedrock, have gone too far in flexing their muscles by telling the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration that Bedrock was exempt from state inspection citations. According to the Detroit Free Press, Bedrock executives requested and were granted a meeting with the governor’s office to “get an understanding of how the state views them and what they do” and “to make sure everyone is on the same page.”

All of this came after an inspector cited Bedrock for unguarded windows and four other violations, including failure to guard against falls, which resulted in a $3,500 fine.

Multi-billion-dollar Bedrock went to the governor’s office to complain. The citations against Bedrock were eventually dropped and veteran inspectors were given a “refresher training” about the more than 90 Bedrock properties in downtown Detroit. The state workers union president said, “State workers become a target because what we do interferes with corporate profits.”

Big business is putting money over workers’ safety and Lansing leaders are going right along with the plan. The cost of revitalizing Detroit is taking workers’ rights backwards 50 years. Imagine if workers flexed their muscles back to show the bosses who really runs things. Safety would be the last thing we would have to worry about.