Document mpQyyqMjv53bbqDKpgDD18zEB

FILE NAME Painters and Allied Trades PAINT DATE 1990 Jan DOC PAINT083 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Article from Painters and Allied Trades Journal PAsae i 1990- Report ofthe GeneralPresident On the Cover The General Officers Re-of port to the 26th General Convention ofPainters the International Brotherhood ofPainters & Allied Trades Scenes are ofLas Vegas11 11 December NV site of the Convention 11 1989 through 15 Report ofthe | Volume 104 Number 1 i i i | i i ling them reduces other chemical exposures that can cause : other illnesses and diseases 2. Better Federal and state . laws covering labeling and high risk application certification programs is a priority We have applicator certification programs in Mas- ince our beginning in 1887 health and safety issues have remained a major concern of our Brother- hood Faulty scaffolding improper ventilation poor respirators or none at all lead poisoning and silicosis from sandblasting asbestosis from taping compounds and today complex solvents and other toxic mate- rials that are associated with sachusetts and Alaska The most comprehensive is the Alaska program which we are using as a proto for other state laws to certifiy that painters who apply toxic substances are aware of the health hazards to themselves and those who work around them 3. For members who become ill as a - result of their work extended compensation or disability ben- neurological diseases and even cancer are problems we continuously address As in the past we have always efits and a legal assistance fund to help with claims are indispens- able been in the forefront of response to We are involved with the Occupa- tional Workers Legal Rights Foundation Federal law in 1970 with our lobbying 1974 we embarked on a famous study with Dr. Irving Selikoff The Health Hazards in the Painting Trades In the 1980's our cooperation with the manufacturers of the National Paint and Coating Association and the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America has been designed to in- crease our joint awareness of the problems and respond in the best in- terests of our members | Our most effective response was the development of health and safety training programs for rank workers In fact our programs were recognized by the Department of Labor and the National Institute of Cancer from whom we received most of the money to produce our training and Workers InstioftuSatfeety and Health two AFL support groups to explore solutions to the ever in- : workplace creasing members exposures of our Financing IBPAT's future safety and health activities will not be easy Federal funds will not always be available and they are already drying up We will try to meet all the needs Since health and safety programs benefit the entire industry the entire industry should share the costs In an effort to bring together all aspects of our industries to protect our members we have reinstituted our Joint Health and Safety program with the National Paint and Coatings As- sociation and the Painting and Dec- orating Contractors of America Cur rently we are devising appropriate re- sponses on a report that the Interna- tional Agency for Research on Cancer has issued advising that the occupa- tion of painter is carcinogenic This Agency part of the World Health Or ganization has identified only two occupations other cinogenic in the world as car rubber industry workers wood dust workers now painters The past has taught us the value of providing quality safety and health programs Not only are our members better protected but the training and health hazards identification program returns dividends to union contractors antdhe painting and allied trades materials and video tape modules that Apprenticeship are now part of our Training programs Priorto the formal incorporation of the health and safety program into the National Painting Decorating and Drywall Apprenticeship and Manpower . Training Fund program we produced 48 videotapes and a 272 page training ' book Every new apprentice will have renws the benefit of these materials as did | - ve r . some 25,000 members in the past five