NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #26/NN_1992_26.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/8200

Text File | 1992-11-08 | 5.4 KB | 106 lines

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Subject: DEO Report: Massive Safety Violations;Adopts: LESS inspections
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    The report details 578 violations, most of which are labeled as
    "serious." It concludes that even after serious injuries occurred,
    no efforts were made to correct or remove the hazards responsible.
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    "Now the public knows we were right all along," Wages added.  "By
    DOE's own account, there are 578 pieces of solid evidence that
    1,000 OCAW members knew exactly what they were talking about."
    [..]Added Wages: "DOE, working hand in glove with the contractors,
    always has boosted the importance of production at the expense of
    worker health and safety
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    "[And yet, the new] directive states that inspections can occur
    only after a 60-day notice has been given to contractors at DOE
    sites, and then only if the contractors agree to it. If they don't
    agree, the matter has to be negotiated before an inspection can
    take place."
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Topic 99        578 Violations at Martin Marietta
ocaw    Resources for labor re:toxics    1:56 pm  Oct 26, 1992
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               578 Violations at Martin Marietta


     LAKEWOOD, Colo.   "It confirms everything we've been warning
about, but we can take little comfort in it," said Robert E. Wages,
president of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International
Union, in response to the Department of Energy's long delayed
release of its worker health and safety report conducted at the
Portsmouth (Ohio) Uranium Enrichment Plant operated by contractor
Martin Marietta Energy Systems. The report details 578 violations,
most of which are labeled as "serious." It concludes that even
after serious injuries occurred, no efforts were made to correct or
remove the hazards responsible.

     DOE's report is based on its unannounced inspection of the
facility following the return to work of more than 1,000 OCAW
members of Piketon, Ohio Local 3-689 who were on strike for 10-1/2
months (from June 1991 to April 1992). The inspection was conducted
April 27-May 15, but the report wasn't released until Oct. 8.

     "Our members only decided to go back to work to prevent the
plant from deteriorating to the point where a catastrophic accident
would be inevitable - possibly causing grave damage to the
surrounding community - or having the plant shut down because of
the threat of such an occurrence," Wages said. "In a tremendously
responsible act to protect their community - and to salvage their
livelihoods as well - our people offered to return to work
unconditionally, without achieving a new contract. But because of
Martin Marietta's intransigence, along with DOE's tacit support of
the company's position, they are still working without a new
agreement.

     "Now the public knows we were right all along," Wages added.
"By DOE's own account, there are 578 pieces of solid evidence that
1,000 OCAW members knew exactly what they were talking about."

     Added Wages: "DOE, working hand in glove with the contractors,
always has boosted the importance of production at the expense of
worker health and safety - contrary to its rhetoric about
protecting the people in the plants. If we needed any further
evidence that DOE's expressed commitment to health and safety
matters is just so much empty talk, we got it last week when
Secretary of Energy Watkins issued his notice that the DOE Office
of Environment, Safety and Health can no longer conduct unannounced
inspections."

     (Watkins's directive states that inspections can occur only
after a 60-day notice has been given to contractors at DOE sites,
and then only if the contractors agree to it. If they don't agree,
the matter has to be negotiated before an inspection can take
place.)

     Senator John Glenn of Ohio is sharply critical of the DOE
posture. In a statement following the report's release, he said,
"This report certainly shows a careless disregard by DOE for the
workers at Piketon. This cannot continue, especially as the
Department proceeds to address the risky tasks of environmental
restoration and waste management."

     Glenn concluded, "I believe a major reason for this problem is
the lack of leverage DOE has over its contractors. Unlike other
private and governmental industries, DOE has no system of fines and
penalties to assure compliance with worker health and safety
regulations. Meanwhile, DOE has consistently opposed my legislation
requiring the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to
regulate DOE facilities. I will use today's findings to help push
my legislation through Congress next year."

     Said OCAW President Wages: "In that fight, we'll be with
Senator Glenn all the way. He's right. This situation cannot
continue."