Reply #9: The AFL-CIO understand the problem

[Senior citizen]

and is trying to fight back, but unions have been seriously weakened in this country.

I'm sorry to hear about your step-father. It reminded me that several people where I worked had heart attacks and died the same year they were scheduled to retire. It was obvious that when someone came up for retirement, management pressure on them would increase until the stress became intolerable.

Now, had your step-father gone postal, shot a few people and killed himself, you can be sure that he would have been characterized as "a lone nut," a "disgruntled employee," etc. What it really boils down to is that either they kill you, or you take a few with you and kill yourself. Either way you're dead, but I suspect that it is really the former alternative that gets you to heaven with a smile on your face and a gracious welcome from Saint Peter, not the latter.

Workman's Comp was never supposed to be an adversarial process, but it definitely is these days, and fatal workplace "accidents" often occur to potential whistleblowers.