OSH Bulletin - August 2008

CWA Local 4818 Member Fatality

As reported by Justin Hawkins, President, CWA Local 4818, Bloomington, Indiana, on July 26, 2008, Dennis Miller died while performing his work as an AT&T Installation and Repair Technician. Only 55 five years of age, Dennis was working aloft on a telecommunications pole during a very hot Indiana day (A heat index of 100 degrees). At this time, the cause of his fatality has not been identified. 

Dennis leaves behind his wife and three adult sons.

At present, with assistance from the Union’s Occupational Safety and Health Department, Justin Hawkins and Bryon Capper, CWA Representative, are investigating the circumstances that led to this fatality with personnel at AT&T and Indiana OSHA.

As additional information regarding this horrible tragedy becomes available, CWA District 4 and the Safety and Health Department will provide timely updates. 

Eliminating Safety and Health Hazards through Union Action

During June, 2007, CWA’s Occupational Safety and Health Department and the Center for Labor Education and Research (CLEAR), University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama were conducting their grant-sponsored (by the U. S. National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences) “Emergency Response/Hazardous Materials Training” in St. Pete Beach, Florida. When discussing a “worst case” example of working with toxins contained in telecommunication plugging compounds/encapsulants (used when splicing/repairing telecommunications cables), David LeGrande, CWA’s Director of Occupational Safety and Health, identified plugging compounds containing isocyanates. Given that isocyanates are extremely hazardous upper respiratory irritants and, in some cases cancer- causing (see the CWA Occupational Safety and Health Fact Sheet “Polyurethanes and Isocyanates and the Workplace”), he indicated CWA leaders, members, and safety and health activists should:

• Work to have isocyanate products replaced with materials containing less hazardous substances,
• Where this is not possible, ensure the employer is providing the necessary education and training regarding the safety and health hazards associated with this encapsulant, engineering controls, personal protective equipment, and
• Ensure the employer is providing the required medical surveillance to involved workers. 

During this discussion, Chris Rodgers, a participant from CWA Local 3950, pointed out Union-represented workers employed by AT&T in the Memphis, Tennessee area have been using the isocyanate-containing encapsulant. Upon further investigation both during and following the training session, it was determined some 5,000 workers employed by AT&T as outside plant technicians both in the Memphis area as well as the entire United States were using this product.

This issue was brought to the attention of Roy Hegenbart, President, CWA Local 3250. In turn, through discussions involving Roy, staff in CWA’s Communications and Technologies Office (CWA Representatives Ruth Marriott and Laura Unger) and Safety and Health Department, AT&T personnel, as well as an investigation by OSHA, the Local and National Union were able to reach agreement with the Company in Spring, 2008 controlling the use of the isocyanate-containing encapsulant. Specifically, the agreement called for:

• Eliminating the use of the isocyanate product and replacing this encapsulant with a safer substitute throughout the entire United States.
• Regarding the substitute product, AT&T agreed to provide the required education and training as well as necessary controls to eliminate/minimize worker exposure and potentially-related health effects.

IUE-CWA Investigations Target Occupational Safety and Health Committees and Workplace Injury/Illness Rates

Recently, under the leadership of Jim Clark, President, IUE-CWA Manufacturing Division, two investigations were completed to determine represented employers’ provision of safe and healthful working conditions as well as the level of workplace safety and health activity within IUE-CWA locals. The initial investigation, “The IUE-CWA Local Union Occupational Injury/Illness Investigation: Analysis of Reported 2007 Injury and Illness Rates among IUE-CWA-Represented Manufacturing Facilities,” includes OSHA Injury/Illness Log data provided by fifty-one (51) IUE-CWA local unions representing seventy-seven (77) employers.

Significant findings from this investigation identified:

• Represented employers reported there were no workplace fatalities and a total of 1,193 work-related injuries/illnesses;
• Of these, 602 (50.46%) were classified as injuries and 591 (49.54%) as illnesses;
• Musculoskeletal disorders made up the largest single category or type of injury/illness with 542 (45%) of all reported cases;
• 257 (22%) of the cases were lacerations/abrasions;
• Punctures/contusions numbered 173 (15% of all cases);
• 42 (4%) of the cases were due to hearing loss;
• Foreign objects in the eyes numbered 42 (4% of all cases); 
• Fractures made up 39 (3%) of all reported cases;
• Trauma/struck by cases totaled 24 (2%);
• There were 17 (1%) burn cases; and
• 57 (5%) additional cases due to poisonings, skin disorders, upper respiratory conditions, and miscellaneous reasons.

In reviewing the different types of work IUE-CWA members and represented workers perform and the many workplace hazards they experience/are exposed to, the results of this investigation demonstrate:

• First and foremost, the excellent work of participating IUE-CWA local union and negotiated joint labor/management occupational safety and health committees identifying, preventing, and resolving workplace safety and health issues/hazards. Such work includes providing education and training to members, addressing and resolving important safety and health issues/concerns with represented employers, and ensuring these employers are providing IUE-CWA represented workers with safe and healthful working conditions. The low number of reported cases of upper respiratory health problems, skin disorders, and trauma/struck by incidents is an indication of the results of this excellent work.
• Second, the importance of continuing to address workplace ergonomics, the primary cause of represented workers injuries and illnesses. Key issues include poorly-designed hand tools and equipment, as well as work organization and design methods (including issues such as the design of jobs, work pace, workload, unrealistically high productivity demands, and poor management style).
• The importance of coordination between and among IUE-CWA Headquarters, Staff, and local union officers, leaders, and safety and health activists in identifying workplace safety and health as a top priority for the union is key to the prevention of workplace hazards and potentially-related injuries and illnesses.

The second IUE-CWA study focused upon locals representing General Electric (GE) manufacturing plants and facilities. Entitled “ this investigation was conducted during the latter part of 2007 and Spring, 2008. The primary purpose of the study was to identify which locals had established local union occupational safety and health committees, negotiated labor-management committees, and joined with GE on OSHA-sponsored Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) to improve workplace safety and health and working conditions within the represented facilities.

Conducted with the leadership of Jim Clark, President, IUE-CWA Manufacturing Division, and Bob Santamoor, Chair, IUE-CWA/GE Conference Board, eight (8- 40%) of twenty (20) local unions completed and returned the questionnaire to the Union’s Safety and Health Department for analysis. However, when including data from five local unions that responded to the previously-discussed IUE-CWA injury/illness investigation, the analysis allows for the inclusion of additional information. Thus, this report is based upon data submitted by thirteen* (13- 65%) of twenty (20) locals representing GE manufacturing facilities.

Important findings from this investigation demonstrated that:

• Twelve (12- 92%) of the thirteen (13) responding locals reported having an effective, active local union occupational safety and health committee.
• Eleven (11- 85%) of these locals said they have negotiated labor-management occupational safety and health committees.
• Eleven (11- 85%) locals indicated they work with GE in an OSHA-sponsored VPP.
• Of significance, all of the responding IUE-CWA local unions reported significant improvements in occupational safety and health and working conditions within represented GE manufacturing plants.  

Particular examples included:

• All of the locals that have established local union occupational safety and health committees and negotiated joint labor-management occupational safety and health committees with GE have seen a decline in the occurrence of workplace/worker injuries and illnesses. In turn, this has resulted in a reduction in the severity of workplace accidents, injuries, and illnesses; fewer lost work days; and increased productivity-- primary concerns of GE. 

*  Respondents included IUE-CWA locals 81301, 81359, 81380, 82161, 83701, 83761, 84705, 84707, 84715, 84734, 84818, 88623, and 88640.

• Several IUE-CWA local unions and GE have established a programmatic work order system that allows safety and health issues to be recorded and tracked from their point of origin to their resolution. This process includes updated information to ensure the timely resolution of identified issues/problems and allows the necessary prevention steps to be initiated.

• Several locals have worked with GE to create plant-wide emergency response committees. These committees work to ensure emergencies are minimized through preventive action. In case of an emergency, committee members work to control the source/cause of the emergency and provide the affected worker(s) with the necessary assistance until the ambulance/medical personnel arrive.
• Similar to the above IUE-CWA injury/illness study, local leaders identified the primary workplace safety and health issues to include workplace ergonomics, chemical/hazardous material use and exposure, as well as excessive noise, equipment maintenance, and occupational safety and health education and training. 

For copies of the full study reports, please contact David LeGrande, CWA’s Occupational Safety and Health Director at:

E-mail: legrande@cwa-union.org; Telephone: 202-434-1160; or Fax: 202-434-1318

CWA District 3 Occupational Safety and Health Retreat

Under the leadership of District 3 Vice President Noah Savant and with assistance of Booker Lester, Administrative Director to the Vice President, the CWA Occupational Safety and Health Department conducted the CWA District 3 Occupational Safety and Health Retreat, May 17, 2008. Forty-six (46) local union safety and health activists representing 22 local unions participated in the Retreat held at the Jacksonville Crowne Plaza Riverfront in Jacksonville, Florida. Also, immediately preceding the Retreat, on May 15-16 the Department and the Center for Labor Education and Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama conducted a training session targeting Emergency Response/Hazardous Materials.

Organized and conducted under the direction of the Union’s Occupational Safety and Health Department, the Occupational Safety and Health Retreat focused upon:

• Coverage of the Employee Free Choice Act
• Two separate panels targeting local union safety and health issues and using joint and union occupational safety and health committees to identify/resolve safety and health issues
• Developing state-based occupational safety and health committees and  
• Electrical hazards training.

During a spirited session, Booker Lester highlighted the key elements of the Employee Free Choice Act. His excellent presentation supplemented the key issues with information from and the experience of CWA and, in general, the labor movement regarding the many attempts to organize workers only to be turned back by employers’ illegal actions of firing, threatening, and intimidating involved workers as well as the Bush Administration’s apparent support of these illegal activities.

Citing AT&T Mobility (formerly Cingular) as a primary example, Booker discussed the importance of employer neutrality during the union organizing campaigns as well as the use of card-check procedures in recognizing the collective bargaining status of the Union. After his presentation, a question/answer session was conducted in which several participants joined in.

Panels focused upon “Local Union Issues,” and “Using Joint and Union Occupational Safety and Health Committees to Identify/Resolve Safety and Health Issues,” and forming state-based occupational safety and health coordinating committees. Led by several District 3 local union leaders and occupational safety and health activists, the panels targeted a number of important district and local union safety and health concerns.

Topics discussed during the “Local Union Issues” panel included:

• “Customer Service Representative Workplace Ergonomics Issues” (presented by Laura Comella, Vice President of AT&T Information Systems,
• CWA Local 3106), “Telecommunications Technician/Craft Worker Ergonomic Concerns” (presented by Steve Shaw, Secretary, CWA Local 3106),         
• “Using the OSHA Sanitation Standard to Ensure Employer’s are Providing Sanitary Bathroom Facilities and Allowing Workers to Use Such Facilities without Fear of Discrimination/Harassment” (presented by Lisa Brown, Safety and Health Chair, CWA Local 3204) and
• “Public Worker Safety and Health Legislation Passed in the 2008 Florida Legislative Session (presented by Gayle Marie Perry, CWA Local 3104 and Chair of the CWA District 3 Florida Council).

Subjects targeted during the “Using Joint and Union Occupational Safety and Health Committees to Identify/Resolve Safety and Health Issues” included:

• “Developing a Joint CWA/AT&T Confined Spaces Training Program,” presented by Paul Pearson, CWA Local 3410,
• “Identifying and Resolving Encapsulant/Plugging Compound Safety and Health Concerns with AT&T” presented by Harry Jones, CWA Local 3450,
• “Safety and Health Advances Achieved by the Joint CWA/AT&T Louisiana State Safety and Health Committee” presented by Dugg Harrison, President, CWA Local 3411, and
• A brainstorming session regarding the formation of CWA state safety and health coordinating committees within existing CWA state councils.    

Overall, as a result of participant discussion and involvement, the Retreat was a tremendous success. On a final note, local union activists thanked District 3 and the Safety and Health Department for conducting the Retreat and offered strong opinions regarding the need for CWA to continue the district retreat and national conference format, i.e., conducting the retreats and national conference on an alternative year schedule.  

As noted, on May 15-16, immediately preceding the Retreat, the Union’s Occupational Safety and Health Department and the Center for Labor Education and Research, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama held a training session on Emergency -Response/Hazardous Materials. Extending over a day and one-half, the session focused upon a number of important and timely issues including:

• Emergency Response/Hazardous Materials,
• Methamphetamine Labs (targeting the hazardous materials used to make methamphetamine, potential exposure to and health effects associated with these hazards, and exposure/health-prevention/resolution techniques), and
• Hurricane and Tornado Emergency Response (Of note, this was the initial class in which this favorably received subject has been presented).    

In the future, the Union’s Occupational Safety and Health Department looks forward to working with CWA national and local officers, staff, and local union safety and health activists as the Department continues to organize and conduct District Occupational Safety and Health Retreats and other activities.

CWA District 3 Occupational Safety and Health Retreat  List of Participants

CWA Local 3105-Rick Eddie, Vice President

CWA Local 3106-Laura Comella, Vice President, ATTIS and Steve Shaw, Treasurer

CWA Local 3110-Carlyle Holder, Charles Hubbard, Tammy Smolinsky 

CWA Local 3111-Jeff Williams

CWA Local 3122- Marc Hansman, Mayra Mayol, Sherri Perez, Terry Sell, Nancy Underwood

CWA Local 3179-Randy Higgins, Lester Pulfer

CWA Local 3204-Lisa Brown, Susan Moss, Vice President

CWA Local 3250-Harry Jones

CWA Local 3310-Diogenes Miller

CWA Local 3315-Terry Buchholz

CWA Local 3403-Walter Bagot, President, Dwaine Henderson

CWA Local 3404-Wayne Ballard, Steve Lewis

CWA Local 3406-Bobby Beller, Kendrick Benoit, Jean Gaye, Jr.

CWA Local 3407-Katherine Hay, President,Mike Gary, Secretary-Treasurer, Erik Lehto

CWA local 3410-J. Adam Gaye, III, Paul Pearson

CWA Local 3411-Dugg Harrison, David Lupton

CWA Local 3607-Chris Myrick

CWA Local 3640-Vonda Hardy, President, Tracey Binckley

CWA Local 3808-Richard Feinstein, President, Ches Misso

CWA Local 3902-James Ehlers, Johnny McCollum, Claude Perry

IUE-CWA Local 83718-Chandra Nunnery

Noah Savant, CWA District 3 Vice President

Booker Lester, Administrative Director to the Vice President

Gayle Marie Perry- CWA Local 3104 and Chair, CWA Florida Council

Charlie Barrett, CWA Representative- Occupational Safety and Health

David LeGrande, CWA Occupational Safety and Health Director