Asbestos union uses coffin to protest use of non-union labor on Broadway
Imagine walking down Broadway in Manhattan, New York to find a coffin lying on the street. That’s what many people have done for several days, as the Asbestos, Lead & Hazardous Waste Laborers’ Local 78 union placed the coffin on the sidewalk in protest. The union is protesting the use of non-union workers to remove asbestos from nearby buildings, as the job is fairly dangerous, and non-union workers often do not have the same protections and safety measures in place. Asbestos is a toxic substance, and its removal and handling is strictly regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to protect the health of workers and the public. Asbestos exposure can lead to serious illnesses like mesothelioma, a rare but serious form of cancer that targets the lining of the lungs, chest and abdomen.
The non-union workers at Landmark Consultants Corp—the Brooklyn-based firm in charge of removing the asbestos in the area—don’t like the message this sends to the people in the area. They feel as though it is misleading people into thinking they are not doing a quality job, when in fact they are working with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to ensure everything is safe for all involved.
For the full story, go to New York Daily News.
