Urgent information regarding Lead in the Workplace

Effective Tuesday, November 18, 2013, the attached agreement went into affect.  This is a very important case and could have a far reaching impact on many companies, given what occurred in the case that started this process.  District 7, Dave LeGrande, CWA's Occupational Safety and Health Director, and our Legal Department worked tirelessly to achieve this agreement.  All of their work is greatly appreciated.  Dave is now working with our members in the field who may also have exposure to lead and has also reached out to certain locals to do surveys which would determine if anyone possibly could fall under this agreement.  At this point he is looking mainly at cable splicers.  We believe CenturyLink understood the seriousness of this issue especially given the 9 serious citations for violation of the OSHA Lead Standard they received and that is why they chose to not only enter the agreement but to expand it if there are other lead issues found.  The worker in this case was a Legacy Q employee, however the settlement agreement applies to all of CenturyLink.

Please take the time to review the above-referenced settlement, as well as this checklist.  They are important and could be used as organizing tools going forward.  It is an attachment to this document as is the lead checklist.  If you believe your members may be affected by lead contamination regardless of the company you work for/with, copy the form and have your members complete and return the document.  This link will direct you to the CWA Safety and Health website and the Lead in the Workplace Fact Sheet.  This can help our members understand the serious consequences of lead exposure.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Lois J. Grimes-Patow

Administrative Director