Abatement Union Stages Protest

Members of the Asbestos, Lead, and Hazardous Waste Laborers’ Union Local 78 organized a protest this week at UBS in Stamford, Connecticut, attempting to point out that asbestos can kill when it’s not removed properly.

The protest, according to an article in the Daily Stamford, was organized because the union, whose members are licensed to remove hazardous materials, claim that UBS, an international investment bank, has disregarded local and federal rules governing the proper removal of all types of asbestos materials. Union members distributed fliers to interested bypassers, claiming that New York Insulation, a company hired by UBS to remove asbestos from its Stamford location, is doing substandard work.

In addition, the fliers pointed out that the company has a lengthy history of violating federal Clean Air Act laws, and that the methods New York Insulation uses for the removal of asbestos puts everyone’s health at risk, including that of the company’s own workers.

In addition to distributing fliers, the union members brought two coffins with them to the protest. The coffins bore large yellow signs that proclaimed, “Asbestos Kills!” Inside the coffins were mannequins that were dressed to resemble construction workers, complete with hard hat.

The union, which is based in New York, also encouraged concern citizens to contact UBS’s Chief Executive Office, Bob McCann, to urge him to reconsider the hiring of New York Insulation. “Tell him what every first-grader knows: People’s health is more important than the bottom line,” the flier encouraged. It also listed the ways in which the company had violated asbestos laws, including specific examples.

Proper asbestos abatement laws are in place in all 50 states, designed to protect individuals from exposure to the toxic mineral, which was used in literally dozens of construction products throughout the first three-quarters of the 20th century. Construction workers are among those at highest risk for developing the asbestos-caused cancer known as mesothelioma, which most often attacks the lining of the lungs or abdomen. Mesothelioma kills approximately 2,000 to 3,000 Americans per year and has historically responded poorly to treatment, including chemotherapy and radiation. Though treatment options are improving, it remains one of the deadliest types of cancer.