Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao Says American Workers Need To Bathe More

[DeSwiss]

Chao Can’t Soft Soap Her Attack on Workers

AFL-CIO Weblog
by Mike Hall, Jul 17, 2007



Flashback: High school gym, where listening to lectures on personal hygiene was part of the package. It’s one thing for a gym teacher to tell a bunch of sweaty teenagers to hit the showers. But it’s something quite different when the U.S. secretary of labor tells Parade magazine—a national weekly read by millions of Americans—the nation’s workers need a bath if they want to keep their jobs.

Today and Thursday, members of AFGE Local 12 in Washington, D.C., will be doing their part to clean up U.S. workers by passing out bars of soap at the U.S. Department of Labor headquarters. On one side, the soap is labeled, “Chao Thinks You Stink.” On the other side, “Clean Up with Local 12.” Chao told Parade it’s not just the low-cost of foreign labor that is enticing many U.S. employers to ship jobs overseas—overseas workers dress and bathe better.

Beyond the cheaper cost of labor, U.S. employers say that many workers abroad simply have a better attitude toward work. “American employees must be punctual, dress appropriately and have good personal hygiene,” says Chao.

Alex Bastani, AFGE Local 12 president, says, while the soapy action may be fun, what isn’t funny is the secretary’s disdain not only for workers at the Department of Labor but for all American workers. Bastani noted that in 2004, Chao’s Labor Department changed the rules on who qualifies for overtime pay and millions of workers were robbed of their rights to overtime pay. Just this year, she tried to outsource some 250 Department of Labor jobs but was unsuccessful. Don’t forget to wash behind your ears.

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/07/17/chao-cant-soft-soap-her-attack-on-workers/

*** - Well, I for one don't stink! And I'm hardly going to take employment advice from someone who'd marry Mitch McConnell, because obviously her judgment is impaired. But the worst is, she's associated with the worst smelling administration in the history of this country. Everywhere they go they stink up the place and now no one wants us around. Ain't she got some nerve!!!!



on edit: spelling police

[Jack Rabbit]

1. How mush is the Secretary of Labor paid?

How much is Mx. Chao paid to oppose raises in the minimum wage and give American workers advice that sounds like it came out of the Girl Scout guide?

[DeSwiss]

9. What's worse....

...she's one of the smarter ones in the whole damned administration. Now how much does that suck?!?!?!

[AndyTiedye]

2. How About Some More Showers in Workplaces Then

Not everyone drives to work in an air-conditioned automobile.

[DeSwiss]

10. Cabinet level Secretaries get limos....

...and we pay the freight!

:mad:

[aquart]

3. It never ends, does it?

[DeSwiss]

15. I hope so!

[wundermaus]

4. Pay me a living wage and I will think about it

By the way, stench is in the nose of the beholder. Breathe deep.

[DeSwiss]

11. I think that its a requirement....

...to work in the Bush Administration that you have all your olfactory organs removed. Particularly the way Dumbo likes to rip em' off as a joke. He considers that high humor....

And everyone knows, they're all just one steamin pile of

[Bluzmann57]

5. Well, I bathe every day

And I dress appropriately too. Does she want people like me, who work outdoors in a dirty and somewhat harsh environment to wear suits? Yeah, I'll do that. A suit to work in. I am not Oliver Douglas and this ain't Green Acres. This is real life and people sweat and get dirty. Maybe she could buy me all new clothes every week. I can't afford to on my own. Of all the things to gripe about, this may be the least important.

[DeSwiss]

12. Well.....

....they think everyone stinks. But them.

[babylonsister]

6. Good to know she's concentrating on all the important issues. nt

[DeSwiss]

13. After working around Bush all this time....

...I can understand why she smells all the time. She think its us and its them...

[babylonsister]

22. ROFL! Good point! nt

[Hand]

7. ...

[DeSwiss]

14. And don't forget hubby...

He needs it as much as her!

[Hand]

25. Eww, eww, EWWWWW...

The horror... the horror... exterminate all the brutes. :scared:

[MrSlayer]

8. Ever worked in close quarters with a skeevatso?

It's not pleasant. And I have no problem with calling anyone out on it. Come to work bathed and use fucking deodorant. If you have B.O. at 7 am you obviously have not bathed. It's disgusting and disrespectful to your co-workers.

[xchrom]

16. and what did that have to do with the idea that american workers have bad hygine?

any where you go in the world --SOMEBODY -- is going to have bad hygine.

so somebody in sweden is operating a skeewhatits and stinks.

not the point.

[DeSwiss]

21. Sometimes people miss the whole point....

...while concentrating on just themselves. One never know what someone's problems are. There are medical conditions that cause body order no matter how much you wash up.

And at the Cabinet level in an administration, I would expect her to be more concerned about making sure Americans had decent paying jobs first, as Secretary of Labor. She ought to let the Secretary of Health & Human Services worry about hygiene....

IMHO

[MrSlayer]

28. You're right.

I missed the point. My fervor for bathing blinded me to what the article was actually about.

[DeSwiss]

19. I take your point....

...even though I'm not sure what a skeevatso is.

But I would assume that even skeevatso's have to eat and have a roof over their heads. And earn a decent wage so that they can feed their skeevatso families. I would think that the Secretary of Labor's job is to concentrate on those problems first. But that just me....

[partylessinOhio]

17. Isn't this the beotch that sleeps with that frozen faced Senator?

I always thought she was stupid. Now I know she obnoxious too.

“American employees must be punctual, dress appropriately and have good personal hygiene,” says Chao. “They need anger-management and conflict-resolution skills, and they have to be able to accept direction. Too many young people bristle when a supervisor asks them to do something.”

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, said he held property in the District of Columbia worth $1 million-$5 million. But a large portion of the family assets is held by his wife, Labor Secretary Elaine Chao.

[DeSwiss]

23. Love that pic!!!

As for the need for "anger-management and conflict-resolution skills" maybe we can institute the skills http://politicalwire.com/archives/2003/07/18/mcconnells_daughter_under_fire.html">Sen. McConnell's daughter the elementary school teacher uses. She ties her students to their chairs with leather belts or puts tape over their mouths.

Probably how her dad handled her anger management issues it when she was younger. Or maybe the McConnell-Chao's are just into BDSM....

[xchrom]

18. what the fuck is wrong with her? n/t

[AnneD]

20. OK, I CONFESS.......

I come to work clean enough in my nursing scrubs but I ended up with some TPN fluid that splashed on me when spiking the bag, some emesis from a basin that didn't get there in time, sputum from a trache suction, and I won't tell you about my shoes after the 'code brown' I handled. It is futile to dress better with suits and all, but I'll try:eyes:

It's all I can do to get rid of the stains I get, but if the job includes a dry cleaning allowance-I'll wear suits. But then there are the MRSA that is all over the place- that stuff you can't see. But hey, that won't matter cause I'll look so good in the unemployment line:sarcasm:.

Hubby thinks I am Gypsy Rose Lee 'cause I strip almost at the door when I get home. My work clothes go in a separate container as it is. At least our family won't be exposed to these bio hazards I switch to suits and they are dry cleaned.

[DeSwiss]

27. TPN fluid? Emesis? Sputum? Trache Suction? Code Brown?

Ahhh... so you're the one she's taking about. Its not us.

:rofl:

I loved that "Gypsy Rose Lee stipper" reference. I'll have to mention it to the Missus DeSwiss, although the crappiest stuff she works with are politicians (she works for the government). But you know, the youngun's on the DU board won't get it without Googling it first! :D

Oh and btw, Katie Couric would prefer that you not use the word sputum.

[nolabels]

33. Eeewwww, you bring your used scrubs home?

I was recently a hospital patient (my first and hopefully last time) and am quite sure that having them incinerated after each use would be much better.

[AnneD]

42. Nothing would please me more than incinerate the things....

in some areas like surgery-the hospital takes care of the scrubs but frankly-I think as a matter of public health-hospitals should do that for all areas. I know hubby would miss the Gyps Rose Lee post work strip, but I would feel better. Maybe he'd spring for a pole:rofl:.

The nice thing about getting older-his eyes are getting older too, but he still sees me as that PYT I was 17 years ago.

[nolabels]

45. It was nothing about the blood and guts or any other bodily fluid really

It's the knowing that most of any pathogen in the place was brought in by another human. That part doesn't even bother me that much, but that super staph stuff that has mutated to where it's almost impossible to control with most any type of drug, and that is what would worry me.

What is NF?


Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a bacterial infection. This bacteria attacks the soft tissue and the fascia, which is a sheath of tissue covering the muscle. NF can occur in an extremity following a minor trauma, or after some other type of opportunity for the bacteria to enter the body such as surgery.

The Group A Strep infection (flesh eating bacteria) is most common with minor trauma. A mixed bacterial infection is often the cause after surgery.

We can personally tell you about people who developed NF after a C-section, after abdominal surgery, after scratching a rash, after giving birth vaginally, from a tiny scratch, after bumping a leg with a golf bag, after a friendly punch in the arm from a buddy, after a little cut on the finger, after a cut on the foot, after a rug burn, after having a routine blood draw in a physical exam, after a broken arm, and after a broken leg, and from no known trauma at all.

In order for someone to contract NF, the bacteria must be introduced into the body. This occurs either from direct contact with someone carrying the bacteria, or because of the bacteria being carried by the person him or herself.

Group A Strep is the same bacteria that causes strep throat. However, there are various strains of the bacteria, some of which are more powerful than others (with stronger m-protein serotypes). If the right set of conditions are present, this is when the necrotizing fasciitis occurs.
(snip)
http://www.nnff.org/nnff_what.htm

[AnneD]

46. We see most of our NF form folks that go...

fishing in the Gulf and had a cut. You think you are ok in salt water, but you really have to watch it.
I work full time as a school Nurse (I have the immune system to beat the band). Two years ago I had 5 cases of MRSA. One case went almost to the bone of a child and required surgery. After that I became very adept at spotting it.I worked with a city pathologist and we tried to see if we could isolate it to a source. We never pinpointed it but we figured that the abrasions from too tight shoes provided an opening for the bacteria (this was in the spring (they fall shoes were almost too tight by then) and most kids that developed it had it start in the feet. It was a lot of interesting detective work, and I was able to get the other kids in very early and they didn't miss school like our first student.
Basically, if you have an infect that is very aggressive (and you know it with NF) and spreads rapidly-get to the Doc asap. I have heard of doc's admitting to the hospital ICU from their office, the NF had spread so quickly. You have to be aggressive with this stuff.

[nolabels]

47. So then, like wow even, guess the beast you know isn't as scary as the one you don't

As a truck mechanic i have had people wonder and or caution me about things i would do. I kind of understand how you face it then, in that it would seem dangerous to someone inexperienced but that sort of instinctive thing takes over and you know your safe zones. Thanks for taking the time to respond, you kind of seem like my sister who is a nurse at the other side of the country in a convalescent home. She earlier, for about a decade, had worked in a hospital in the neurology dept. She left that kind thing, said she couldn't take the stress and politics or ignorance of the male doctors.

Soap and water, and US workers are not punctual enough, and yada yada yada. Kind of think some of those silver-spooners in DC never even knew what real labor was :shrug:

[NV Whino]

24. Um, Ms Chao

The stench emanates from the White House.

[wryter2000]

26. Wryter2000 says Elaine Chao needs to purchase a clue n/t

n/t

[jimshoes]

29. I just felt the need to chime in

and tell miz Chao to FUCK OFF. That is all.

[DeSwiss]

30. I will mention it to her....

...the very next time I see her.

Of course, I hope I never have to see her. But if I do, I'll send your regards....

[AnneD]

43. Please tell Mrs DeSwiss......

that all employees are required to wash their hands after going to the restroom-or shaking politicins hands, but esp GOP hands (no telling WHERE they have been). Always carry hand sanitizer just in case.

[jberryhill]

31. Overseas workers dress better? Who sees them?

[glitch]

32. It's been surreal for so long, I don't even know what to call this. Super-surreal? Meta-surreal?

Hyper-surreal? Giga-surreal? Uber-surreal? Somebody stop me.

Edit: I think the whole lot of them should be tested for early stage mad cow disease.

[lumberjack_jeff]

35. Transcendentally surreal? Existentially surreal? n/t

[Pooka Fey]

39. Supercalifragilistically surreal. n/t

[UrbScotty]

34. Well, her boss sure stinks. (nt)

[lostnfound]

36. The defects of 'the unwashed masses'.nt

[liberalla]

37. Is she a consultant for Proctor & Gamble?

They have a slow quarter?

[formercia]

38. People who work hard sweat.

but, then, she has the luxury of not having to.

[Wednesdays]

40. Ooh, I think she's onto something there!

Paid time off to shower? Cool! How 'bout twice a day?

I'd definitely go for that plan. 'specially if one can bring a friend...

:evilgrin:

[kernelfarmer]

41. Anyone remember when the Dept of Labor worked for workers?

Isn't the Secretary of Labor supposed to help working people? This dumb-bitch hasn't done shit for me.

[TheBaldyMan]

44. maybe US workers are on dirty protest at the Bush administration

but I don't think there's enough dirt to do that protest justice.