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United Parcel Service was singled out by assistant Labor Secretary Charles Jeffress, who oversees the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, for not testifying at the controversial ergonomics hearings and for “not participating in building the record.” The charge prompted a strong reaction from the package carrier.

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“It seems like a little bit of demagogy on Mr. Jeffress’ part,” UPS spokesman Tad Segal said April 18 in response to the criticism. “I sincerely hope that Mr. Jeffress is not ignoring the hundreds and possibly thousands of pages UPS and other organizations filed ... that point out some of the serious problems we have with OSHA and their regulations.”

The carrier notified the federal agency of its concerns long before the March 13 start of the ergonomics hearings in Washington, said Segal.

More than a dozen representatives from UPS were scheduled to present testimony and possibly respond to questions from OSHA panel members on April 3. The carrier notified OSHA on March 31 that its representatives would not appear, prompting Jeffress to speculate.

Calls to OSHA’s public affairs office on why UPS was singled out by Jeffress were not returned.