Document 6RnQoQ4mZQLakK2Yy8E0Jw964

August XI, 1978 f\ nPP]! - %'i 1 1 j Sheldon w. Samuels, Director Health, Safety and Environment Industrial Union Department 815 Sixteenth street, N. w. Washington, D. C. 20006 7' I-V' *- '*; <J 1 rir ire Re: Health Monitoring Program Dear Brother Samuels: As you know, for the past several years the union has been urging the Pittsburgh-Coming Corporation at Port Allegany, Pennsylvania to implement a comprehensive health monitoring program covering workers in the plants who were exposed to inhalation of asbestos in their em ployment there prior to 1972. In 1972 the company 3toppc the manufacture of asbestos used for pipe coverings, afte several years of production. We urged that the program be instituted because informa tion we received from the workers and the company indicat that the type of examine tions that were essential to detec abnormalities created by the inhalation of asbestos were not being implemented. Chest X-rays and some monitoring was being done. As a result of our intercession we obtained the voluntary assistance of Dr. Selikoff of Mount Sinai Hospital and his associate Dr. E. IIol3tein. Many months ago Dr. Hol stein prepared a very comprehensive program for monitor ing. the health of the workers who had been exposed, whict wf.-.s intended to be implemented in cooperation with the medical facilities in Port Allegany. Although we have had two meetings with Pittsburgh-Cominc officials and exchanged much correspondence, to date the BB 0000919 01 1382 Sheldon IV. Samuels -August 11, 1978 2 company has refused to go along with the Mount Sinai proposal. They have, however, been in contact with the National Cancer Institute regarding the program. The last we heard from the company, which was by letter on August 4th, management has been conferring with Dr. R. A. Niles, Chief of Staff at the Port Allegany Community Hospital and with Drs. II. J. Wallace and E. M. MacIntyre at Roswell Park Memorial Institute, a cancer center in Buffalo, New York, with a view toward "bring ing tiie company program at Port Allegany into line with recommendations soon to be made by the National Cancer Institute. The union has no knowledge as just when these recommenda tions from tiie National CAncer Institute will be forth coming. In the last meeting that we held with Dr. Selikoff at which both officials of our union, including myself and officials of the Pittsburgh-Corning Corporatic were in attendance Dr. Selikoff pointed out that in view of the passage of timo the workers in Port Allegany shoui be examined just as soon as possible. A few weeks ago and at our initiative we contacted Mount Sinai Hospital to ascertain whether or not they could make arrangements to examine some of the workers if the union arranged to bring the workers to New York. A3 a result of the cooperation of Dr. Selikoff and his associa who have been so cooperative in the past, arrangements have been made for comprehensive examinations to be con ducted at a clinic in Patterson, Nov; Jersey. These ex aminations will take place on Sunday, August 13. To facilitate travel to ana from Port Allegany the union has chartered a forty-passenger airplane at its expense, that will leave Bradford, Pennsylvania at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday and arrive at Tcterboro Airport at 9:30 a.m. Dr. Selikoff will make arrangements to have the workers tranc ported from the airstrip to the clinic. We are hopeful that these examinations will be completed by approximate] 5:00 p.m. that day so that the workers can be flown back to Bradford which is the closest airport to Port Allegany The entire expense of the trip is being underwritten by 0092o~7 01 1383 Sheldon W. Samuels August Hr 1978 2 the international union. We expect to have at least 32 workers on the airplane in addition to representatives from the international staff. If it is necessary for some of the workers to be off work on Sunday to make the trip the union i3 reimbursing them their wages lost. The individuals making the trip have been selected largely on the basi3 of the time they were exposed to the inha lation of asbestos and their length of service with the company. We are unable to transport the entire work fore However, wo are hopeful that as a result of comprehensive examinations of at least 30 of the workers by experts in the field, we will have some idea of the magnitude of the health problem. For your general information, you will find enclosed a copy of the letter wc received from Mount Sinai which indicates the types of tests that will be given. When we first became involved in the situation at Port Allegai you visited there to confer with the workers. I thought you should know of our concern and that rather than be coming involved in further delay we have taken the fore going action. Fraternally yours, George M. Parker International President GMP/kl Enclosure cc: Jacob dayman / cc: Irving J. Selikoff, M-D,*' cc: Diane J. Fink, M.D., ' cc: Richard Colasurd, Esq. -.J : -' r;< CC J T* j BB 0000921 J 01 1384 INDUSTRIAL UNION 315 Sixteenth Street, N.W.. Washington, D.C. 2Q0GG Area Code 202 393-5531 DEPARTMENT AF L-C I O Jacob Clayman, President-SacroiaryTreasurgr September 7, 1978 eSS Tbe Honorable Joseph 5. Ammerman 1723 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D. C. 20515 Dear Congressman Ammerman; HOif. T! ' nct r` - ` vTD'O Pursuant to our recent conversation, X am attaching two lett rs which describe the events leading to the examination of the sample of Port Allegany workers examined for asbestos-related disease. Dr. Selikoff found that 38, of 38 workers examined, had abnormal x-rays. He suggests that you telephone him for an interpretation of this data. A number of problems need to be looked at in Port Allegany, in cluding: Examination of family'members (asbestos is brought home on contaminated clothing). Examination of householders who live close to the plant. Examination of all present and former employees. Arrangements for life-time medical surveillance of exposed worker, family and (possibly) adjacent householder. We have been attempting to develop a self-help program for Port Allegany and similar situations elsewhere. Regretfully, we have b en un successful. ______ __ _______ _ | BB 0000922"| We will continue to report our progress - or lack of progress - lu you with th hope that you will assist our work. It is very important for VIC MUlOIMTSt SR.., aommo* K.finmn r auviocx Somwanto O'iewAui Owd x *itUMun*. a. f Srawfwi u.ltnyw Qumvt c umm* Km* jmmm WIIUui Lucy Uf* **t/*tMMcSOauMi Many N. S. Fta$m ft.ttwy iV vmm Rw< JKN Can w, SIumvwm* ** ItM. 01 1912 S.wmon J. WMt Manut j. Glam* . want The Honorable Joseph S. Ammennan Septemb r 7, 1978 Page Two Members of Congress to understand that a nationally coordinated and financed program of medical intervention does not exist. Preventive h alth, health care of any kind for occupational purposes, is not covered by health insurance. Prior to the onset of clinically significant disease (at which stage it is too late to intervene), workers' compensation has no relevance* Sincerely, Sheldon W. Samuels, Director Health, Safety and Environment SWS:pcs opeiu#2afl-cio cc: George Parker tX' Dr. Selikoff Dr. Holstein Jacob dayman Philip Daugherty j_C8 Q000923~7 01 1913 September 20, 1078 Sheldon Samuels, Director Health, Safety & Environment T. Industrial Union Department WQ \ r ` r< 815 Sixteenth Street, N.W. ,, , , Washington, D. C. 20006 Hoi _,,. '' . Dear Sheldon: As you know the Pittsburgh Corning Corporation at the plant that previously operated in Tyler, Texas and at Port Allegany, Pennsylvania have been deeply involved in serious health problems affecting our members as a result of the inhalation of asbestos. In view of the company's experience and first-hand knowledge of the dangers of asbestos, I was surprised to receive the attached report from International Representative Virgil-Ostendorf following his visit to the company's production facility in Sedalia, Missouri. It is almost incomprehensible to believe that a company who has been through a law suit in excess of $20,000,000 resulting from asbestos would be so careless in its' operation at Sedalia. * We would appreciate it if you would get in touch with the proper government officials 30 that they would check out the Sedalia plant, with particular reference to the asbestos situation. It appears also that there are countless other dangerous situations in the Sedalia, Missouri plant that should be looked into. Your cooperation in the foregoing will be appreciated. Very truly yours ^_________________ ~\~BB* 0000924 | GMP/fbe George M. Parker Enel. International President cc: Richard M. Colasurd Dr. Irving J. Selikoff Virgil Ostendorf 01 187" MAILGRAM To: Sheldon Samuels, Director Health, Safety & Environment Industrial Union Department 815 Sixteenth St. N.w. Washington, D.C. 20006 September 25, 1978 Time: 1:30 p.m. Operator:304 Anything you can do to speed up a checking of the Sedalia Plant by OSHA will be appreciated. In particular we are interested in a monitoring of the use of asbestos pads in the plant. We are told that management has instituted a new program of storing these pads quite some distance from where they are used resulting in the spreading of asbestos unnecessarily. Workers who have complained are being harassed by plant management. GMP/lh George M. Parker International President j_SB 0000925 01 3344 4-Oj^l^occHoOoiJ 0 4/ 25/76 ICS IoMHnGZ C 5 P D E T B 1 4l.9.^5o6o7 .mgm TOHN TOLEDO OH 09-25 12.J2P fcST- 3* AMERICA^ FLINT GLASS <nO*KRS UNION uY 1_H 1 u u 0 S 0 u T ,-t 8 Y * N t HO TOLtOO Urt i o 1 4 Tr-TS 13 a tONt- IRmaTIUN COPY up TnE FOLLOWING MESSAGE: 4143o5oo67 mum TjbN TOLEuO Oh 100 09-25 1232P tST ZI? She LOGn SahuElS# DIRECTOR mc o A r F T Y ANO ENVIRONMENT INDUSTRIAL UN Tun CERT S15 lo ST NuR Th*;5T -aShIhGTO.* uC 20006 ANYT-1u YOU CAN uG TO SPEED up a Checking of The SEOALIA PLANT fly OSHA H't.L nF ARPkfcClATtD, In PARTICULAR *E ARE INTERESTED IN A MONITORING OF The USE >"F ASoESTOS PAOS In ThE PLANT. ARE TOLD THAT management MAS INSTITUTED a nEh pRuGRAm OF STORING THESE PAOS GUITE SOME DISTANCE FROM hhE*F ThtY A?t USED RESULTING IN THt SPREADING OF ASBESTOS UNNECESSARILY. -OhKERS <*hO HAVE COMPLAINED ARE bElNG HARASSED BY PLANT MANAGE *tn T , VERY |p<uLY YOURS* GcCmGE uir<<tR# INTERNATIONAL PRE$IDlnT I C A *, r L i N "f ULmSS wOmkERS UNION 12:32 EoI uG^CC P `"C-m i"bB 0000926 01 M45 '0 REPLY 3Y MA1LGRAM. SEE REVERSE SIDE ?OR WESTERN UNION'S TCla. rR 3nGNE '