I would press him on evidence of his claim that regulatory agencies are the cause of better workplace conditions (correlation/causation, and such). And wages too…Of course anyone could show how a law mandating higher wages resulted in higher wages for some, but it also wouldn’t be hard to logically prove (although it would be harder to illustrate and make understood) how overall the economy is worse off.
Stossel shows a great graph charting workplace fatalities before and after OSHA…have a look at what we find when you look at the data here. Here’s a good discussion on airline deregulation. (as you can see, people don’t always have the facts straight).
Also keep your eyes peeled for the release of Edgar the Exploiter.
Other resources that may help:
Do Capitalists Have Superior Bargaining Power?
Markets, Not Unions, Gave us Leisure
Minimum Wage Laws: Economics versus Ideology
Should the Productivity Norm Determine Wages?
The Popular Interpretation of the “Industrial Revolution”
How “Sweatshops” Help the Poor
Does Capitalism Need Adjustment?
A Student’s Guide to Economic History
What They Won’t Tell You About Capitalism
Never-Ending Government Lies About Markets
That outta get you started