PITTSBURGH — An affiliate of the AFL-CIO last week launched an online database of information about U.S. companies it says export jobs and violate workers' rights.

The Job Tracker site also lists CEO salaries and firms that have broken federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, said Jessica Smith, a spokeswoman for the affiliate, Working America.

"It's a great, unique, one-stop shop for information," Smith said. "This is the kind of information that should be public and that workers should have access to. But these aren't the kinds of things that are easy to find out by a member of the public."

Much of the information in the database — particularly records of OSHA violations — was obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests.

The site organizes information geographically, allowing users to enter their ZIP codes to get results for companies in their areas.

Working America, based in Washington, was formed in August 2003 by the AFL-CIO to help nonunion workers learn their rights. The group, which says it has 1 million members, has offices in Ohio, Oregon and Pennsylvania and is planning to open an office in Minnesota, according to Smith.

In September, Working America opened a Pittsburgh office to support legislation to increase the minimum wage and health care coverage in Pennsylvania.

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Working America's Job Tracker: www.working america.org/jobtracker