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FILE NAME Painters and Allied Trades PAINT DATE 1977 Mar DOC PAINT049 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Article from Painters and Allied Trades | Journal DEFENDANT'SDEFENDANT'S EXHIBIT case specific- specific- Journal Journal's cover Our Brotherhood was celebrating its 10th Anniversary Eighty years later IBPAT continues to serve Its members NEWS AND FEATURES page Inside Front Cover From the General President 4 IBPAT 90 years of Brotherhood 16 MSSM Pinpoints Blood Organ and Skin Diseases 19 The Bacon Forum How It Came to Be 31 The GST Reports MACHINERY COACH AUTOMOBILE 'AIRCRAFT @ MACHINERY fiRAILWAY EQUIPMENT SHIP AND SCENIC PAINTING PAPERHANGING DECORATING fi PAPERHANGING WALL COVERING @ DECORATIVE AND SOFT GLAZING @ CARPET @ LINOLEUM LINOLEUM TILE @ PAINT AND VARNISH MAKING BRUSH MAKERS AND TO THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT IN GENERAL Any member or subordinate body publishing programs souvenirs or other documents of any description must not designate them as The Official Journal of the Brotherhood or as The Painters and Allied Trades Journal either upon the publication itself on their advertising contract forms or stationery Robert J. Petersdorf Publisher Sam Parker Editor 1750 New York Ave. N.W. Washington D.C. 20006 Published monthly by the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades Second Class mail entry authorized at Washington D.C. POSTMASTERS ATTENTION Change of address cards on Form 3579 should be sent to THE PAINTERS AND ALLIED TRADES JOURNAL 1750 New York Ave. N.W. Washintgon D.C. 20006 Subscription Price 2.00 per year Single copy 20 cents PRINTED ON UNION MADE PAPER PRINTED WITH UNION MADE INK DEPARTMENTS . page 20 Labor Beat 21 Canadian Labour Audit 22 Audit Report 26 Financial Report a ' S. FRANK RAFTERY General President 1750 New York Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20006 ROBERT J. PETERSDORF General Treasurer 1750 New York Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20006 VOLUME 91 No. 3 + MARCH 1977 The official journal of the Interna- tional Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades organized March 15 1887 and the only publication issued under its auspices INTERNATIONAL 4G LABOR PRESS k J 3 PRINTED IN U.S.A. General Vice Presidents BERNARD SNIEGOWSKI 1st District 1443 Westchester Boulevard Westchester Ill 60153 A. L. MONROE 2nd District 7909 Bayberry Drive Alexandria Va 22306 JAMES WOLFORD 3rd District 100 Devon Lane ; Williamsville N.Y. 14221 JACK T. COX 4th District 2212 DuPont Drive Irvine Calif 92664 GUY LEBER 5th District 1930 Bishop Lane Louisville Ky 40218 ; JAMES B. COX 6th District 8800 Blue Ridge Ext No. 10 Kansas City Mo. 64138 WILLIAM A. DUVAL 7th District 1750 New York Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20006 Suffering in the IBPAT Ranks Part IV Culprits MSSM Pinpoints Bloodor This is the fourth in a five- part series dealing with the Mount Sinai School of Medi- cine investigation into hazards of the paint trades The December through Feb- ruary issues of the Journal discussed disorders and dis- eases of the brain and nervous system the nose throat mouth . and lungs and the bronchial and trachial tubes This month the findings of the MSSM detectives to be ex- amined are the disorders and diseases of stomach and in- testines kidneys skin the liver heart the blood and and the Next month a summary of the study and recommendations made by the MSSM detectives will conclude the series Digestive disorders and diseases among the workers examined in the MSSMMS study occur in 29 percent of the metal painters and sandblasters 26 percent of the exposed painters 21 percent of the general painters seven percent of the paint manufacturers and one to three percent of the other tradesmen ' The digestive disorders most common among painters and allied tradesmen are nausea vomiting and loss of appetite These disorders accompany the narcotic symptoms of dizziness headedness and loss of balance in third of the solvent intoxications Solvent in- toxications are reported by 84 percent of the epoxy painters sandblasters and metal painters and by 71 percent of all painters see January Journal p 4 The chemical culprits allegedly responsible include the alcohols aiiphatic hydrocarbons esters glycols ketones methylene chloride mineral spirits naptha toluene turpentine and xylene Additionally 16 percent of the titanium pigment manufacturers claim to experience nausea and vomiting following level ex- posure to sulfuric acid mists Cancer of the intestinal tract - the stomach and intestines tives believe that part of the differ- ence must be due to other occu- * pationally induced abnormalities which were more frequently found. in the St. Louis group They did : ' not however state in their report exactly what occupationally in- duced abnormalities occurred more frequently The titanium pigment manufac- turers show the fewest liver abnor* malities is reported in less than half of one percent of the painters and paint manufacturing workers The Liver Blood Disease and Disorder Blood tests were taken by the MSSM detectives to uncover any : toxic effects the chemical culprits Special attention is given in the of the paint trade may have on the MSSM study to the liver because bone marrow and the blood cells many of the solvents used by paint- of the workers ers and allied tradesmen are known The blood tests indicate slight to be especially harmful to it anemia among 11 percent of the Most liver abnormalities among general painters eight percent of : the examined painters and allied the paint manufacturers and seven tradesmen occur with less than a percent of the tapers Anemia oc- 10 percent frequency _ curs when the number of red blood Enlargement often the first sign cells responsible for carrying oxy- of an unhealthy liver occurs among gen and nutrients to the many parts only four six percent of the paint- of the body are too few Often ane- ers High levels of alkaline phos- mia causes headaches weakness dizziness drowsiness fever and phatase in the blood another symp- stomach problems tom of an unhealthy liver occur . Abnormal white blood cell counts among 38 percent of the St. Louis occur among 10 percent of the painters in the study This is nearly painters four percent of the paint three times as frequent as among manufacturers and two percent of other painters and tradesmen . the tapers The white blood cells Two explanations for the higher alkaline phosphatase levels among are the defenders of the body They attack any invading bacteria St. Louis painters considered by the or virus If the number of white MSSM detectives are excessive al- blood cells is low the person will cohol consumption and age How- be susceptible to many diseases If ever the difference in alcohol con- the number of white blood cells is sumption between the St. Louis painters and other painters was not found to be that great Nor were the St. Louis painters an older group of painters Consequently the MSSM detec- e high it indicates the presence of some disorder which the body is combating Sometimes if the number of white cells becomes too high they will begin to attack red blood; cells 16 THE JOURNAL .- r by the ver any culprits e on the od cells ce Diseases Overall while these abnormali- ties were more frequent among _ painters than other workers the difference was not great Because only minor abnormali- show During the study the MSSM detectives discovered many cases in and out of the paint industry that demonstrated the chemical culprits with which painters and allied ties were found the MSSM detec- tradesmen work are substances to tives believe that toxic effects in be handled with great care the bone marrow were not a prominent problem among those tested Alcohols commonly used as sol- vents cause severe skin irritations Nor did the MSSM detectives and dermatitis if the user is not find evidence of abnormally high careful to avoid prolonged skin con- lead or cadmium absorption both the lead blood levels and the urinary cadmium ary cadmium levels among those examined were within normal lim- tact Further prolonged inhalation or skin contact can cause vomiting . and nausea Aliphatic hydrocarbons defat the its skin causing severe irritation and : Skin Disorder and Disease . Skin rashes irritations and der- matitis trouble 21 percent of the painters who work with epoxy paint and related solvents epoxy exposed painters examined by MSSM detectives are troubled with skin rashes irritations and dermatitis in only five percent of the cases Ten percent of the titanium workers exposed to high concentrations of sulfuric acid or sulfur dioxide fumes have skin rashes irritations and dermatitis Cancer of the skin is most preva- lent among painters and paint man- ufacturers percent and least prevalent among taperths an one percent For all other workers combined cancer of the skin occurs among 2.6 percent Though the disorders and dis- eases found by the MSSM detectives for the stomach and intestines the liver the blood and the skin of painters and allied tradesmen do not occur with the same frequency as the disorders and diseases found among the nervous system brain and respiratory system the potential for harm is greater than the figures dermatitis They too cause vomiting and nausea from prolonged in- halation of vapors Benzene blisters the skin and causes dermatitis palpitations of the heart anemia and leukemia Glycols damage the kidneys either from prolonged inhalation of vapors or prolonged skin contact Aromatic hydrocarbons in addi- tion to causing skin irritation and dermatitis absorb through the skin to disrupt the liver and the kidney functions and create blood and bone marrow disturbances Toluene xylene and methylene chloride irritate the skin and may cause nausea and vomiting Naptha absorbed through either the skin or the lungs is responsible for mild anemia These are just the solvents Among paint pigments dust and other materials by painters and allied tradesmen are many more chemical culprits For example the pigment cadmium degenerates the kidneys alters the function of the liver and affects the blood cells and the bone marrow The chromates very common in paints cause chronic dermatitis ulcers anemia and intestinal disease and disability Antimony degenerates the kid- neys the liver and the heart causes cramps diarrhea vomiting and skin irritation and dermatitis Asbestos causes cancer of the stomach the colon and the rectum Lead perhaps the single most- documented of the chemical cul- prits is responsible for anemia in- testinal upsets arteriosclerosis and skin irritation and dematitis Sulfuric acid causes digestive disturbances burns skin irritations and eats the enamel from the teeth of workers Ammonia is responsible for chemical burns kidney congestion vomiting and gastritis And do not forget these culprits also cause other disorders and dis- Continued next page 38 Chemical Culprits and the Disease They Cause DIGESTIVE ORGANS ORGANS MISC MISC Intesial Iritaon Iritaon DigestvDiarhea Genral oLofs Stomach Ulcers Vomitng Heart Kidney Liver Anemia Death Dermatis Leukmia Cancer Damge Damge Damge Dermatis of of Cancer Apetie the the System Eyes Skin Complaints XXX XXX XXX XXX XXXXXX X X X XXX X XXXX XX Acetic Acid Alcohols Aliphatic Ammonia Hydroca Antimony Aromatic Hydrocar , Asbestos X XXXXXX X Barite Benzene Bichromates Boric Acid Mi XX ^ ^^ Cadmium Compounds Compounds Carbon Tetrachlor Chlorinated Hydro Chromium Compound Crystaline Silica if XXX XXX 4 Esters Glycols X X Ketones Lead Compounds Compounds Maganese Cleate Magnesium Carbona XXX XXX X XX XX Methylene Chlorid Mineral Spirits Naptha Oxalic Acid Pigment Dust Shellac Silica Compounds Sodium Hydroxide Sulfuric Acid Wl Titanium Dioxide X Toluene + bad| Turpentine Vinyl Chloride Wood Dust Xylene Diseases cont'd eases as outlined in the preceding articles Each and every time a painter or allied tradesmen uses any of these chemical culprits great care is important The painter that wipes up a spill with his hand instead of a rag spends unnecessary minutes in a closed room with a solvent or fails to recognize and avoid any of the many hazards of the paint trades may be increasing his chance of developing some occupationally related disorder or disease Remember its not the once that will cause the problem its the repeated time and time again expo- sure No matter how many times a painter or allied tradesman may endure prolonged exposure with no ill effects there may come a time when the additional punishment absorbed by the body becomes too great The human body is a marvelous machine and the painter is a perfection of that machine requiring many years of training But like a good car too much exposure to the harsh elements will dull and chip the finish foul up the body and engine and eventually send it to the junk yard This is sad thing to occur to a car but it is a tragedy when the victim is flesh and blood " The conclusion Painters take care of themselves must Always remember people are not replaceable like machines Take pride in maintaining good health avoid what is not safe or healthful Good health will increase production of work and quality of work- manship and enhance the enjoyment of life So don't blow your engine proving you can take it You can't Nobody can Next month a summary of the study along with the recommendations made by the MSSM detectives will conclude this part series on the Mount Sinai Investigation into the hazards of the paint trade 18 THE JOURNAL NPCA Adopts Health Research Program The National Paint and Coatings Association NPCA Executive Committee approved a sighted occupational health research pro- in paint manufacturing will be included in the study The NPCA says the study will take a minimum of 39 months to gram recently to explore any effects complete and may continue indefi of coatings products and their in- nitely The information from the gredients on workers in the paint study will be used for the benefit manufacturing industry The program has been under ex- amination by the NPCA Occupa- tional Task Force for over two years and by their Executive Com- mittee and Board of Directors for of all coatings industry companies whether large or small and " meet the responsibilities to our em ployees to insure that they work in an environment as free from danger , as possible one year NPCA going Board Chair- In October of 1976 approval man John L. Armitage said in Oc was given by the NPCA member- tober this research program ship to increase dues 15 percent to raise an additional 200,000 per vital to give us a leadership posi tion However the NPCA has set year required to finance the research The NPCA is the sole sponsor for the project receiving no out- side funds The research to be conducted a good example for industry for several years now In 1973 they es tablished their Occupational Health Task Force In 1975 they formed the Product Safety Task Force for the NPCA by the Stanford Re- The NPCA is also a member search Institute will include a mortality study a medical surveillance study and a general environmental study The mortality study will determine if coating manufacturing workers have fatalities from dis- ease in excess of the national aver- of the sponsored National Joint Safety and Health Committee which brings industry labor gov ernment and science person nel together to discuss mutual health concerns and problems NPCA President Robert Roland says that he has discussed with the NJS age through examination of worker health records The medical surveillance study will develop forms and procedures to provide accurate health profiles of paint manufacturing workers The general environmental study will monitor the chemicals of the work environment the duration of worker exposure to the chemicals and the concentrations of the chemicals in work environment In all likelihood some of the 10,000 IBPAT members employed a making the completed study results available to the group to assistin establishing safe working conditions wherever chemicals or products of the paint manufacturing industry are employed Chairman of the NJS Robert Petersdorf has said the committee welcomes this information because potential harm from the hundreds of chemicals used in the paint in dustry is incompletely understood The research program is expected to begin in February MAY 1977 Journal American American CAS 7, ah NY ST SCH IND LBR RL CORNELL UNIVERSITYUNIVERSITY ITHACA NY aT BF PTW 14. Journal A On the Cover May is PAT month the opportunity for BPAT members to get their voices heard government UE NEWS AND FEATURES page Inside Front Cover From the General President te) 4 Worker Coalition down Situs 7 Labor Mounts Legislative Drive ; 10 Ask the Doctors Members Query the Experts ATS 13 Labor's Past is IBPAT Exhibit Theme EE 31 The GST Reports DEVOTED TO THE TRADE INTERESTS OF RESIDENTIAL 'COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL fiSIGN @ PICTORIAL COACH # AUTOMOBILE 'AIRCRAFT MACHINERY @ RAILWAY EQUIPMENT UNION MOVEMENT IN GENERAL Any member or subordinate body publishing programs souvenirs or other documents of any description must not designate them as The Official Journal of the Brotherhood or as The Painters and Allied Trades Journal either upon the publication itself on their advertising contract forms or stationery Robert J. Petersdorf Publisher 1750 New York Ave. N.W. Washington D.C. 20006 Published monthly by the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades Second Class mail entry authorized at Washington D.C. POSTMASTERS ATTENTION Change of address cards on Form 3579 should be sent to THE PAINTERS AND ALLIED TRADES JOURNAL 1750 New York Ave. N.W. Washington D.C. 20006 8 Subscription Price 2.00 per year Single copy 20 cents PRINTED ON UNION MADE PAPER PRINTED WITH UNION MADE INK DEPARTMENTS page : 15 Local and District Council News 19 Bacon Forum 21 Labor Beat 24 Sports and Recreation .26 Financial Report S. FRANK RAFTERY General President 1750 New York Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20006 ROBERT J. PETERSDORF General Treasurer 1750 New York Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20006 VOLUME 91 No. 5 MAY 1977 The official journal of the International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades organized March 15 1887 and the only publication issued under its auspices General Vice Presidents BERNARD SNIEGOWSKI 1st District 1443Westchester Boulevard Westchester Ill 60153 A. L. MONROE 2nd District 7909 Bayberry Drive Alexandria Va 22306 JAMES WOLFORD 3rd District . 100 Devon Lane Williamsville N.Y. 14221 JACK T. COX 4th District 2212 DuPont Drive Irvine Calif 92664 GUY LEBER 5th District 1930 Bishop Lane Louisville Ky 40218 JAMES B. COX 6th District 8800 Blue Ridge Ext No. 10 Kansas City Mo. 64138 WILLIAM A. DUVAL 7th District . 1750 New York Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20006 PRINTED IN U.S.A. The Decade of Job Safety Employers and OSHA OSHA does not only apply to lations posted a notice requiring all the employers responsibilities as this article taken from the Dry- wall Contractors Association In- corporated Journal shows The worker too must comply with safety standards It's in every- one's best interest to practice safety Too bad we need laws to get the job done Editor The very word disability calls forth the spector of OSHA like the ghost of Christmas Past One of the problems we've been hearing a great deal of lately is what to do when an employee won't obey an OSHA regulation employees working in areas having a noise level of 90 decibels or more to wear ear protection On that day one of the workers a Mr. F. had been given pair of plastic inserts by the foreman Mr. F put in the plugs and went off to his job About half an hour later the fore- man noticed that though Mr. F was on the job the plugs were not He reminded the worker of the reason for the requirement and told him that there was a choice of three other kinds of protection if he didn't like the plugs Thanks but no thanks was the answer with Mr. F stating emphatically that they were his ears and he'd take his chances Do you worry about the chemicals with which you have to work Do you have symp- toms of an illness which may be connected to your occupa- tion Ask the Doctors is the new JOURNAL feature design ed to answer your questions about the hazards in the painting and allied trades This month Dr. Edwin C * Holstein of New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine an- swers a member's question on chronic bronchitis who is ultimately responsible when the known know The company however was not willing to do the same and handed BROTHER L. P. WRITES hits the fan and how far can it be carried him his walking papers In addition when Mr. F applied for unemploy- Starting with the question of ment compensation the application safety glasses even though the was opposed by the mill OSHA regulations merely state that The case went to the Court of the employer must make glasses Appeals and that august body in worker available a recent update has added that the employer must also one of the landmark decisions bar- _ ring a from unemployment require workers to wear them This. compensation if he's fired for dis- same reasoning which the Review Commission has used has spread out to encompass employees working over open water with life vests Not only must the employer furnish the life vest the Commission has obeying company rules designed to implement the Federal Safety Laws decided no compensation for the worker He should have complied with the protection rule said the Court The rule was in I've been painting for over 20 years and my wife noticed that in the last five years I wheeze alot while I'm sleeping I've always told her that maybe it's caused by smok ing Last year the doctor who ex amined me said that I had chronic bronchitis. I a workin shipyard as a painter and we do work with the paints solvents mentioned in the Mt. Sina report .... I am quite worried ruled that there is a further duty to insure that employees wear them compliance with a federal require- ment and must be considered rea- DR HOLSTEIN REPLIES where the danger moe ists of drowning ex- The sticky part of course is how Howis the employer to insure such behavior Where is the clout going to come from A recent case in North Carolina some of that answer may provide medi In the case in point a large mill the trying to comply with OSHA regu- sonable Let me remind you that such extreme action may be considered viable the more so when you remem- ber that an employee's willingness to take the responsibility for his own safety does not relieve you of the responsibility for enforcing OSHA standards nor from paying the penalties afterward that you are not the only one with chronic bronchitis In fact in Mount Sinai Study fully half of all painters who smoke have this condition ; What is chronic bronchitis Is dangerous Can it be cured Chronic bronchitis is a cal phrase for inflammation of air tubes Bronchi in your lungs 10 THE JOURNAL IS 0 that eeze ways told by smok who Do you have a deep wet chest cough that brings up phlegm Have you had this for three months or more Did you have it for several months during each of the last few years also If you answered yes all of these questions then you have chronic bronchitis In other words chronic bronchitis is marked bronchitis start out with just a morning cough perhaps only during the winter months They say they have a smoker's cough or that they just have to clear their chest the morning Gradually the cough begins to occur throughout the day and all year long The phlegm or sputum becomes yellow brown or even greenish It also increases in amount so that a person might fill a shot glass or two if saved a day's phlegm have even seen patients who filled an ounce glass twice in one - day !. Most people with chronic bron- chitis feel fairly well They work and bowl and mow the lawn and lead normal lives They don't feel sick greater chance of getting lung can- cer So you can see that chronic bron- chitis is more than just an annoy- ing cough The cough is a sign of a persistent irritation and inflamma- tion deeipn the air tubes like a smoldering fire The inflammation is damaging What causes chronic bronchitis The number one cause is cigarette smoking The number two and three causes are also cigarette smoking But in the painting trades there is another important cause con- stant irritation of painters lungs from breathing solvents like tolu- ene or xylene dust sand from sandblasting epoxy acid fumes like sulfuric acid and many other , substances Webelieve this is why 13 percent of the painters in the Mount Sinai study who never smoked have chronic bronchitis plus about 50 - percent of the painters who do smoke ; ; What can be done about chronic bronchitis First and foremost STOP SMOKING I cannot stress that too strongly You can do more for yourself than ten doctors to- gether can do for you If you are hopelessly addicted to smoking at least switch to a pipe or cigar These are less harmful if you don't inhale the smoke into your lungs Second work with your union for improved ventilation and decreased use of highly irritating materials Demand good respirators masks that will protect you until the work- place is improved Finally see your doctor regularly He may be able to help you with antibiotics and other medicines But don't expect too much benefit unless you can stop smoking A final word to L. P. Your story is complicated because you work in a shipyard That means that you have probably also been exposed to asbestos because it is used all around you by others Some of your trouble breathing may be due to asbestos in addition to your chronic bronchitis Your doctor should check on this And we will Then why does it matter if they have chronic bronchitis Because definitely have more to say about asbestos in future columns chronic bronchitis often gets worse more cough more sputum and All questions for Ask the Doc- more wheezing Eventually these tor should be directed to people may begin to get short- IBPAT Journal winded For instance they may have to rest after climbing a scaf- o Robert Petersdorf 1750 New York Avenue N.W. fold or may be unable to mow the Washington D.C. 20006 awn Finally in a few cases es they have this may have to lead a bed and arm- If writing about a personal illness short- D. seam a into complaints n.: our lung chair life because of severe ness of breath Another problem is that chronic bronchitis bronchitis may occasionally develop emphysema Finally people chronic bronchitis have a Dr. Edwin Holstein has been with New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine since July of 1976. Be- fore joining MSSM's staff he was the Chief of Internal Medicine for the United States Air Force Hospital at Pease AFB in Portsmouth New Hamp- shire please include as much detail as possible Present work How long Years in the paint trades Usual work What are your When did you notice them If you have seen a doctor what does he or she feel is wrong with you THE JOURNAL 11