Document wr3xpQ4N7em8qXN2eQxnn0eqV

RSV0024696 POSTAL WORKERS NEED OUR SUPPORT "...and we are ay being asked to make * sacrifices . " there's a mighty effort underway to turn AEI is a right-wing Republican think- PUBLIC SENTIMENT AGAINST POSTAL WORKERS, tank & that Adie's "comparable" jobs The 4 major postal unions (Letter C - were in banking,, insurance, telephone, Carriers; Postal Workers;-Mailhandlers; & electric utilities. & Rural Letter Carriers) & the U.S. The largely non-union banking & Postal Service (USPS) ajre bargaining over a contract to replace the current insurance industries pay notoriously poor wages. They pull down the average 3-year pact ending July 21. Past New when lumped in with telephone & elec- Unitys have'reported on the postal . trie utilities, which pay Silk more than workers' major needs (5/78) & the pos sibility that management will force a financial industries. Adie's" statis tics, & the Council's as well, are strike & a lousy contract on them (6/78). worthless--except to stir up resentment The unions' announced goal of a against postal workers. $1965/year raise (in 2 steps, July '78 A better comparison was done by the it July '79) has become "nurnber 1 on U.S Commission on Postal Service. It President Carter's hit list." (The found no difference between the postal press described this as a 14% raise; average & the group-average for steel, in-fact, for most postal workers, it auto,transportation,- & communications. will be around 12%. New Unity doubts Meanwhile, United parcel Service that it will keep up with the cost of - workers get about 20% more than postal living, even when combined with the workers. And the Labor Department's Cost of Living Allowance that postal Intermediate Budget for a City Worker workers receive.) Family of 4 is about 10% higher than Carter claims he'll depend oh "vol the average postal worker's income. untary restraint of both labor & man agement" to control inflation. But HIGHER PRICES CAUSE HIGHER WAGES his announced intention to limit govern ment workers to a 5%% raise is, in fact Carter blames wages for inflation. a decision to impose wage controls on The historic pattern, however, is one government workers & set a pattern for of raises trying to catch up with ait workers. prices. And even Postal Service wages have fallen behind the inflation. Postal workers get a Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA). But that only made Carter has unleashed various bureau up 55% of What inflation stole from crats in an attack on pawif-al wnrltawl----- -their purchasing power over the last UUftHhds". His Council on Wage & Price 3 years. Negotiated raises in the ^g&ic pay schedule have helped keep close to inflation. But raises are supposed to f*pJtoue ydur lot, not just |p up with inflation. non-farm workers. prices ' USPS HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY fflOif WOH.fzKi* wag&4, ' I - v"~'" From 1970 to 1977 the workforce de- ina S>o. 1/McJ dined by 12%, while total mail volume se^ativecoluamist James jY^il^-g; -- increased 9%. Productivity junped 23% Patrick claime(M>tev^--b8JP0t^i. ! H fi/lHo over 140,000 pieces of mail per rtffat complfcra&le'' employee. It jumped over 6% in 1977 jobs. His source was the Adie e. Few other-industries show any feats. Kilpatrick failed to_nQfcdJaaTfcfe.e Monsanto Pay Is Tough IS IN LATE NOVEMBER 1973 CLARENCE MESSIER WAS' DYING. - ' Neither he, his wife Alice, his doc- "exclusion diagnosis," that is, a guess At the time there was ho way (there is now) of pinpointing a virus as the MAKING YOU tor, nor his Springfield co-workers knew cause of hepatitis. he might be dying from chemicals at After all the publicity about vinyl the big Monsanto plant in Indian Orchard, chloride 2 months after Messier died, But_2 .months later, the" world learned Flahive himself had second, thoughts. , .that.vinyl chloride, a-widely used When asked by attorney Sweeney in mid-, material in the plastics industry, could cause fatal cancer. Messier made poly- vinyl chloride (PVC) plastic out!: or vinyl chloride gas. So Alice Messier, 1974, Flahive,, acknowledged that the "liv' er conditi.on c-o- u- ld- .H...a..v..e..'.,..been due, to Messier's work, Headaches, dizziness, stomach trouble-, problems with ybur ears,.eyes, Jungs, or skin may be caused by materials y u asked Springfield la^&yer Morton Sweeney to file a Workers' Compensation claim. Still, Messier's de._ath certificate .made it seem .doubtful that vinyl chloride COMPANY SETTLES WITHOUT A FIGHT Thus--had the case gone to the state Industrial Accident Board (lAB)--the work with or by conditions n the-Job. TALK TO YOUR D CTOR. for more information. . had anything to do with his death. The publicity in the media suggested that_,the ; only illness known to come from vinyl ,, chloride exposure wgs a very rare liver argument would have rested off the real possibility_. that Messier`was mlsdiag-_ nosed. ~-- ..... ' Actually, no one Jknows. Neither MASSACHUSETTS COALITIQN FOR OCCUPA TIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH (mASSCOSH). 32 3 HIGH ST., HOLYOKE'; MONDAYS S FRI DAYS I.-5 PM; CALL 536-3734 ANYTIME ' cancer. Messier's doctors said he died side .reviewed Merqy Hospital data to from cirrhosis of the liver caused by a try to pinpoint what Messier had. virus infection. Attorney Sweeney didn't', he says, Nevertheless, Mrs.. Messier went affead because it Wasn't legally necessary to' with her claim. And in 1976, Monsanto, pioye., that vinyl chloride caused the agreed-to settle. ' apparent Sirrposis. ^All he had Lb do The cause of heir husband's death-re was have an expert argue it was "more mains uncertain, as we'll see below.. likely than hot." -- But the case Is still-.significant--espe And, he says, Monsanto wouldn't want cially for chemical workers, their fam to-make that re-examlhatioh because they ilies , doctorsfit lawyers. might find that vinyl cljloride indeed killed Messier. Th,e company cpuld get a weaker conclusion by settling before the f'r case went to the IAB. ( ., Sweeney feels a company would not settle without a fight if they were as sure as Monsanto's lawyers were origin ally that the claim had'no basis. Qf course, there's also Monsanto's contention,- in the final settlement agreement, that it was .simply cheaper ' to pay the/ claim than the legal fees *9* Pressure to Win to. fight It. The claimwas small-'-$6600 plus legal fees. ' ' (Mrs. Messier, having remarried, was to Know ^^ nnlftr eligible only for, benefits from Mes- r CIRRHOSIS'LIKE DISEASE. FROM VINYL CHLORIDE sj[er'8 death to the data of remarriage.) Right up until September ,1976, Mon santo fought the claim, resting its case on the death certificate. - Monsanto-said there1 was no -occupational disease in- . volved-, because, vinyl chloride has never been ,shown to - cause'cirrhoais-. of the liver ,r ' ' Actually,. lC>as;-k^own :Xiv_1974 But a last-minute company move also suggests that Monsanto was indeed con cerned about this case providing a stimulus for other workers. The com- pany'lawyer tried'to insert some lan guage into the final agreement Saying:- "The parties are 1 satisfied,that . OSHA, IT SEEMS, HAS PUT OUR RIGHT TO .. . KNOW ABOUT CHEMICALS ON THE,BACK BURNER. .. Health fit safety groups around the country have petitioned for the Occu pational Safety fie Health Administra tion (OSHA) to require labeling & full , information about workplace chemicals . & their;dangers. OSHA did circulate a draft regulation fit. promised hearings. TLub.ViBlfeiRlJaln'eag.. pres ante :made,'.'fehaflu~ lh gat-oTrhsenw, ebrey lfaintedin,1,9^7s4t,r.omnegdiecvaildeinncveesthtia- t. any way. relate-this employee's death to his work ...' [Mrs Messier] ac-- cancer is not I he . only-di sease related- kiipwledges the unlxkelihooql she-cpuld to vinyl chloride. 'A'noh-cancerous dis- obtain a qualified^xpert to support ease from vinvylc;chhlolorriidee7 exposure migeht well.be killing'-tnore people than" liver cancer. -. And this disease has probably been miA-taken by doatofiA ^oft ai.Kfihoii.ii in vi.nyl ahtoKi.da woKkaKi. ( _ Dr.'John Lewis was an expert-witness for Messier against Monsanto".' (Lewis investigated reports of cancer deaths among Monsanto-Springfield employees - the alleged claim.Sweeney called this "tantamount to a lie." & refused to include it. . Mon santo ,then accepted Swehney's reason for the settlement: the cost of hearing "novel, unique, 'fit complex medical & ( legal questions without legal precedent .in the CommonwealthI."" PUBLIC IGNORANCE IS COMPANY BLISS while working, for the state Occupation al Hygiene'Division in 1976. .His ef forts helped precipitate a federal study- that is currently.underway here.) He described the symptoms of this oon-caocerous disease as.the same as cirrhosis: "The patients look just like cirrhosis, & they die just like cirrhosis,." - ; Expert pathologists. found-the disease in the livers" of workers both with & without liver cancer, ft's a-,thick, scar-tissue-like growth. . '-'Mos.t. pathologists, seeing that - So, it may never be known,what killed Clarence Messier. But expfertzs like" Lewis are certain-there are workers who are, mistakenly assumed by their doctors & families to have died from alcohol, viruses, & such, when in fact their .work was the real killer. Without the full" public airing of the issues such as this-page would have provided, the- general'ignorance about what may be a wide-spread, occupational disease remains intact. And all for only $6600 (plus legal growth, woitld.say, 'That's cirrhosis,"' fees of course). To an enormous inter- -Lewis comments. "Only a few in the country can-tell the difference. And they say that-'s not cirrhosis. Instead they'call it'a 'fibrosis of the liver'- national chemicals company, that must * . seem like -a real bargain* , / adapted -from an article by Peter FTiedland . that's distinctive in vinyl chloride workers." , i' - > * RULING ALCOHOL Ol)T. , ^Messier's doctors were faced with a choice of 3 possible causes of what they'saw as cirrhosis'& "hepatitis," or swelling, of the liver: alcohol, chem icals , or. an infection due to a virus. , Alcohol was out, because Messier did not drink. . Even if Messier.were an al coholic, many alcoholics don't get cir rhosis. This suggests that "other fac tors are involved. The other factors, Lewis argues, are often chemicals that people are exposed to in their work. - But in November 1973 the chemical-- .connection was unknown. So Messier s family doctor, John-Flahive, w^nt along with a -Mercy Hospital lab report that attributed the hepatitis to a virus. The death certificate diagnosis became: "post necrofic [infectious] cirrhosis^ secondary;to'chronic viral hepatitis." But LeWiS:characterizes this an-an "The "guys In the raw mill ar^gettlng higher than a Kite on our last grinding* aid additive, Jerry." now asking OSHA* chief Bingham for firm" commitments & a time-table for action. , To help , .'please contact MassCOSH T (seelboX above). .' Seabrook - from pkge 1 American Federation of State, County, & Municipal Employees.. Jerry Gordon of the Amalgamated Meatcutters fit Butchers Union spoke; "We have to counter the/_big lie that the labor movement is the enemy of the anti-nuclear movement. The enemies-of this movement are the' same as the .enemies of the labor movement. They are the big corporations-, fit the poli ticians who carry out their desires.'" . United Mine Workers representative Ren Hunter called the jobs angle that utility companies push "i'a down-tight lie I Coal produces 40% more jobs than nuclear power plants." '-- Pete Se^ger, Arlo Guthrie, & Utah J Phillips led the rally in songs. .PART OF OCCUPATION --- \ The.rally was part of a 3-day legal oecupation/restoration by 8000 Clam shell Alliance members, including .at least 350 Western Mass, 'residents. It took 4 hours for the thousands of people to march onto the site--with shouts of encouragement from local residents who lined the street. They organized into homesites fie regions,.* pitched their.tents, Rlanted trees, fie set up alternative energy displays. ,, Last year 1414 demonstrators were arrested for occupying the site. This year. New Hampshire officials, made a 'compromise so they, would not' have to deal with mass arrests. ,- On June 26, 2000 occupiers traveled, to Manchester, N.H., where the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was holding hearings on whether to suspend Seabrook construction, They^marched,.through ; the streets, stopping first in front of the Public Service Co.-, -the princi ple buil-der/utility company. They then encircled the Federal Courthouse where.the NRC was meeting. The NRC is expected to decide,Seabrook'S fate by' July 30. To get involved, contact' Susan Gar vey or Dave Potvin, Hampden County Alternative Energy.-Coalitipn,- 532-3635. I RSV0024G97 Monsanto Cancer Victim //ants Union Help WHAT DO -^OU-DO AFTER DECADES OF WORK . THAT SPREAD CANCER THR6UGH YOUR BODY? Stanley Byceriski, 58, considers `the cancer throughout his body to-be work- related. Dyrfhg 26 years, at'MonSan to- Springfield, 'mainly in Mainfenarice as a pipe-fitter-, qr carpenter,, Stanley, : was 1 exposed^tp^everyichetnibal used &,? made .there. " "' . j. ` Since las'tJ, December he1 s,-be:en :o.ut.f i on sick leaveDrihas applied ,fora: medi- , cal retirement'; ` Atty i Morton'Sweeney is' representing him ih1 a ;Workers ' / Compensation claim;- Sweeney also rep-- resented Clarence Messier's widow (story on page 4), . His union contract also has pro visions for him to receive 80-100% pf his pay. if ,he wins the. Comp claim. Because he needs uniph action to get that supplement from Monsanto, & union support right now, Stanley wrote the- following letter to his president, '/ Joseph Bernardo. DEAR PRESIDENT `BERNANdOj-7 ' - \Y 1 I wish to appeal to you as Prestden fc- of my Union [International Union,of .. Electrical. Workers Local-2881 for ad vice, support, & financial assistance. % As you know, I have been on sick "leave since December 1977, have had'one operation, & have completed a second series of radiation therapy treatments for prostatic cancer. ^ Because"this type of cancer is one of many which .has. been found in excess 'among -former Monsanto-Springfield work ers by-both a federal study (NIOSH) & Monsanto's own study, I consider my-ill ness 'to be workTrelated; -Therefore, I havetaken the neces- - sary preliminary steps to file- a claim with the Industrial AecidenfBoard for - Worker's Compensation benefits. Need less to say, this type...of case is both 'difficult & costly, since vast amounts of research & testimony of. niany_ experts will probably .be required, -if-Monsanto denj.es my claim. I call upon Local 288 for financial support to defray the cost of this in- vestigation, riot only for myself, hut for past, present, & future victims who, may benefit from my action. "> I also request the-necessary steps be taken to as.sqre that the- supplement.", - pay provided: for- in. Art; 17, Sec. 17 of the Union contract is provided., A i It is my'understanding) as well; . - .. that a, separate agreement "has been in force for.many years (copy requested) r ^ which further entitles me , to 100% of my --pay, since if my cancer--is work-related^, . it is through no, fault' of mine. i .Would appreciate your immediate at- , tenfcion & action on these matters. -Thanking you ..in .advance, - - Yours truly, Stanley^Bycenski NO SUPPORT Your Bernardo answered that -the union could not give any funds.' He also wrote, "the Local Union has .yet to re you cough or,sneeze? make your throat ceive any conclusive, evidence from any dry.?, or hurt your eyes? - studies conducted by-various groups The.more hidden hazards should then indicating that the cancer of our em be spotted. Is the machine safe? Does ployees is work-related." , -- it have guards? Does it work" correctly?' Stanley's other requests went tin- What about the wiring? Is the on-off answered-. His letter was nor read at switch easy for the operator to reach? a union meeting & the members, are gen Is the floor clear? Ape exits clear & erally not aware of his plight. - marked? After years of activity in the. Is protective gear (goggles, masks) uplon, Stanley feels let down. TJniori provided?, Is an operator given-enough training to run the machine safely? Does the job have to be done too fast tp be safe? Is there a clean place to eat? Are there eriough hathrooms & wash officers, perhaps, are afriad to rock the boat--Monsanto, after .all, is a huge wealthy global corporation. But that's all the more reason for it to take responsibility for the ing facilities? Are they clean? health of its workers *4 who ,,actually- , 1 Also excessive beat, cold & rad- produce the wealth its owners control, iation should. ,be ..checked,. . . .Anf that s all the more reason for-the ' YOU DON'T HAVE TO RE AN EXPERT TO INSPECT YOUR WORKPLACE FOR HAZARDS. The people who are best -qualified to identify dangerous situations are the workers who have to face them daily. ,- , The "first step is ; to collect the Information on hazards in a .well organized notebook. .These facts can then be used to pressure management -5c help solve the problems. In the notebook be-as specific as possible. Nte"the exact location, the people affected, _ttie probable cause, & the possible solution, & . .whether it is an occasional or daily problem. Questionaires are available from .MassCOSH that can help you firul out from other wprke.rs what problems they have'& how widespread the problems are. These questionaires may also arouse Interest among fellow", workers . ASKING QUESTIONS Start with spotting the most obvious problems. Ask yourself & others questions like: Is the noise.loud? Do vapors or fumes smell? make you dizzy? sleepy? -give you a headache? oes the dust, smoke, or vapors make cause accidents too & should.be rioted. A record of accidents-helps identify hidden or repeated hazards.& is use ful in workers compensation cases. HEALTH HAZARDS ;, '' I Ask workers about mild symptoms like headaches, frequent colds, cough, dizziness, or skin irritations. . The - same complaints from a few workers, in an area may bfe.,traced to a cause. Health problems are often related to chemicals, oils &solvents Used. It is important to note all facts 'given on the label. .Also such inform ation as where it is used, how it is used,-how often, the,type of container it is in,. & peopled complaints abopt it is important. -Determining what problems are the most serious' & immediate threats to health &-saety, & which problems people are mobt angry about is a,good place to start in working to eliminate the hazards.- Tliis article is adapted from How to Look at youJL tllo/tkplaae., a booklet1 by Urban Planning Aid. It is available1 for 80q from MassCOSH (see box p.4). Monsanto as ; tried to -put obstacles in the way of any group seeking the truth,''including a,rank & file group of employees & the1 National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NI0SH). .. v.' To fight back requires an informed, active-, concerned union & labor move ment. Certairily a first, step would' be to read'Stanley's' letter at a union meeting. , , All Monsanto workers;;who want to pursue the cancer issue.at Monsanto should feel free to contact MassCOSH (see box on page 4); - Skin SYMPTOMS redness, dryness, itching ulcers, skin cancer Eyes redness, irritation, watering- grainy feeling, "welder's flash". Ears ' ringing, temporary"deafness, hearhiglosa Teeth A Gums corrosion of tooth enamel blue glims Nose ft Throat sneezing, coughing, sore throat nasal cancer Chest A Lungs wheezing, congestion, dry cough. - shortness of breath Oiiriiild exercise *Y. ' flu-hJka symptoms f`metai fume fever") Head dizziness, headache lingers . . toss of clrculation, numbness, swelling Bones - arthritis--- 4 Muscles ft Back soreness, strain Nervous 'system stress, nervousness, irritability sleeplessness, tremors, speech changes - Reproductive System- miscarriage irregularities in menstruation damage to fatufl or chromosomes sterilization COMMON CAUSES solvents, epoxies, oiJ, fiberglass, caustic soda, nickel mineral oils, arsenic, pitch, lar, radiation smoke, gases (ozone), fumes (ammonia), mete) dust, acids ultraviolet radiation. excessive noise acid fumes, cellulose acetate production lead poisoning ozone, ammonia, solvents, jaustic enda, dusts hardwood dusts and resins _ cotton dust, TDI, detergent enzymes, beryllium, solvents long-term exposure to mineral dust (e.g.. asbestosj metal oxides from welding V ` ' solvents, ozone, heat exhaustion,ipoise vibration from rivet guns, sic., vinyl thlo'ride gas excessive vibration,, constant dampness excessive or improper lifting, bending: vibration" speed up, piece work rates, noise ( metal poisoning (lead, mercury) lead, pesticides, radiation, anesthetic gaspolyfityreueKproduction, xylene, some solvents benzene, lead, mercury, radiation recitation ' MASSCOSH IS-PRESENTING A SERIES OF EDUCATI0NALS, " The first series is with member local United Electrical Workers (UE) 274, Greenfield.' These educatiottals are available to any local &' can cover a variety- of health. & safety problems. Topics'include-"How to Us,e 0SHA" & "Health fit Safety Committees & Contract Clauses''. MassCOSH will work"with individuals & locals to help discoyer**& solve health & safety problems in the Shop; Contact MassCOSH (see box on page 4). Work Kills