Asbestos union protest adds fake dead body to coffin
Asbestos, Lead & Hazardous Waste Laborers’ Local 78 is using a coffin with a fake corpse in it to make a point about the hazards of asbestos, much to the disgust of residents in lower Manhattan. The coffin has been in place for over a month, scaring children and raising eyebrows. See related story. Until this week it remained closed due to inclement weather, but on Wednesday it was opened to reveal a “body” dressed in a construction helmet and a gas mask.
Union workers are protesting Landmark Consultants for using nonunion asbestos abatement workers in hazardous work conditions. The macabre symbolism of the protest is intended to draw attention to the dangers of unsafe asbestos abatement practices and disregard for worker safety. Some residents are not happy with the protest, but it undeniably draws attention, which is exactly the point of protest.
For the full story, go to New York Daily News.
