Can't Take No More 1980 Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)

Summary

This video script chronicles the historical struggle of workers for safe and healthy working conditions. From the dangerous post-Civil War era to the establishment of OSHA, it highlights the inhumane conditions that led to mass injuries and deaths, the rise of unions and worker advocacy, and the legislative milestones that have shaped modern occupational safety and health standards. The narrative underscores the ongoing fight for workers' rights, emphasizing the importance of prevention and the collective effort to ensure a safer workplace for all.

Takeaways

• 👷 Workers went on strike due to inhumane working conditions and a lack of occupational safety and health protections.
• 📈 The 1980s saw occupational safety and health emerge as a major social concern, with movements asserting workers' rights to a safe workplace.
• 💥 Workplace accidents have historically resulted in millions of deaths and disabilities, including from explosions, falls, and dangerous machinery.
• 🛠️ Post-Civil War economic expansion led to an increase in production rates and a demand for more workers, but also to harsh and dangerous working conditions.
• 🚂 Railway and mining workers faced particularly high risks of death and injury, with little government oversight or regulation.
• 📚 Journalists and social reformers, such as Lewis Hine and Upton Sinclair, helped expose the brutal conditions and led to the establishment of the Department of Labor in 1913.
• 🛑 Major tragedies, like the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, often catalyzed changes in safety regulations and the creation of inspection commissions.
• 🏭 The voluntary safety movement and the National Safety Council set guidelines for safety practices, although initially blamed workers' carelessness for accidents.
• 😷 Workers' health, particularly from industrial poisons and gases, was largely ignored until the 20th century, with Alice Hamilton leading early investigations into lead poisoning.
• 🛠️ The 1930s saw the first government-imposed health and safety standards with the passage of the Walsh Act, focusing on respirator use and safety precautions.
• 🌐 The post-World War II era introduced new workplace hazards with technological and chemical advancements, prompting increased research into their health effects.
• 🛑 The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 established OSHA, affirming the right to a safe and healthy workplace and setting rules for enforcement.
• 🗳️ Workers and unions are increasingly demanding transparency about workplace chemicals, medical records, and the right to a safe work environment.

Q & A

Why did the workers come out on strike?

The workers came out on strike due to inhumane working conditions, where people were being misused and there were significant occupational safety and health concerns.

What was the historical context of the movement for a healthy and safe workplace?

The movement for a healthy and safe workplace emerged as a major social concern in the 1980s, following a history of workers being exposed to hazardous conditions that resulted in millions of deaths and disabilities.

What were the working conditions like after the Civil War in the American economy?

After the Civil War, the American economy expanded rapidly, leading to an increase in production rates and a demand for millions more workers. However, many faced harsh conditions, long hours, low wages, and dangerous work environments.

Which industry had one of the most dangerous jobs during the late 19th and early 20th centuries?

Railway workers had one of the most dangerous jobs, with nearly 15,000 killed between 192 and 198.

What was the role of journalists and social reformers in improving workers' conditions?

Outraged journalists and social reformers supported workers' efforts to organize, exposing the horrors of child labor and the brutal lives of workers in industries like the Chicago Stockyards, which led to government action to create agencies to protect workers.

What was the impact of the Mananga M disaster on mine safety?

The Mananga M disaster, which resulted in the death of 361 men, led to the establishment of the Bureau of Mines to supervise mine safety, marking a step towards better regulation of the industry.

What was the significance of the National Safety Council's voluntary safety movement?

The voluntary safety movement, initiated by the National Safety Council, set guidelines for safety engineering and better working practices, which companies began to adopt, including setting up guards around dangerous machinery and safety classes.

How did the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911 affect workplace safety regulations?

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which resulted in the death of 146 people due to locked exits, led to the establishment of the first permanent commission to inspect factory safety in New York.

What was the role of the National Labor Relations Act in the context of workers' rights?

The National Labor Relations Act made it a legal right for workers to unionize, which allowed labor to emerge as a powerful force that could better address health and safety issues.

What was the catalyst for the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)?

The Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed in 1970 following a major disaster at the Farmington West, Virginia mine where 78 miners were killed, confirming the legal right to a healthy and safe workplace and establishing OSHA.

What are some of the modern challenges faced by workers in terms of safety and health?

Modern challenges include exposure to 20,000 suspected toxic chemicals in the workplace, with about 1/5 of all cancer cases associated with job-related chemical exposure. Workers are demanding the right to see their medical records and to be informed about the chemicals they work with.

Outlines

00:00

👷‍♂️ Struggle for Occupational Safety and Health

The script discusses the historical struggle for better working conditions and the recognition of the right to a healthy and safe workplace. It highlights the inhumane conditions that led to the formation of a movement in the 1980s, emphasizing the significant social concern for occupational safety and health. The narrative recounts the grim statistics of workplace-related deaths and injuries, including those from explosions, falls, and hazardous machinery. It also touches on the lack of government safety regulations and the limited rights of workers, who often faced harsh conditions and exploitation. The script mentions the role of journalists and social reformers in supporting workers' rights and the eventual establishment of the Department of Labor in 1913, which marked a significant step towards workplace safety.

05:03

🏭 The Evolution of Workplace Safety Measures

This paragraph delves into the evolution of workplace safety measures, beginning with the aftermath of the Civil War when the American economy expanded rapidly, leading to an influx of immigrants seeking work and better lives. However, they faced harsh and dangerous working conditions. The script mentions specific high-risk jobs, such as railway work and mining, which resulted in numerous fatalities. It also discusses the lack of legal protection for unions and the role of exposes in bringing about government action to protect workers. The establishment of the Bureau of Mines and the National Safety Council is noted, along with the development of voluntary safety guidelines. The paragraph also addresses the issue of industrial diseases and the slow response of the medical community to investigate their causes.

10:03

🛠️ The Fight for Workers' Health and Safety

The script focuses on the fight for workers' health and safety, particularly in the context of industrial work that exposed employees to harmful substances like silica dust. It recounts personal stories of workers who suffered from silicosis and other occupational diseases, highlighting the lack of awareness and protection they had. The narrative includes the tragic tale of the galy bridge tunnel workers and the subsequent passage of the waly Act in 1936, which imposed health and safety standards on contractors working with federal agencies. The paragraph also touches on the role of the National Labor Relations Act in legalizing unionization and the impact of industrial unions on advocating for workers' rights, including health and safety.

15:05

🌏 World War II and the Shift in Workplace Safety

This paragraph discusses the impact of World War II on workplace safety, emphasizing how preventing accidents became crucial for the war effort. It describes the increased safety supervision in federal war plants and the advances in industrial engineering and medicine that emerged from the need to keep workers healthy. The script mentions the first standards set by the Public Health Service for dangerous air pollutants at work, although they were often too lenient. The paragraph also notes the changing nature of the workplace post-war, with new technologies and chemicals posing unknown threats to workers' health, and the minimal research into these effects during the 1950s.

20:05

🛡️ The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970

The script outlines the political and social movements that led to the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. It describes the environmental and civil rights movements' influence on raising awareness about the long-term effects of chemicals on health and the rights of individuals. The narrative recounts the struggle of labor leaders and the Johnson Administration's efforts to propose a new government agency to enforce health and safety rules. The paragraph highlights the tragic event at Farmington, West Virginia, which led to the passing of the federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act and eventually the Occupational Safety and Health Act, confirming the legal right to a healthy and safe workplace and the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

25:06

🐓 The Battle for Safe Conditions in the Chicken Processing Industry

This paragraph focuses on the harsh and dangerous working conditions in the chicken processing industry, as experienced by workers like Gloria Jordan, who is trying to organize her plant. The script details the physical hazards, such as cold-induced injuries from working near open ice doors and the risk of cutting oneself with saws, as well as the inhumane restrictions on bathroom breaks that led to health issues. It also mentions the lack of proper safety equipment and the workers' fight for better conditions, including the right to organize unions and the legal battles they face. The narrative emphasizes the workers' determination to improve their conditions for the sake of their children and future generations.

Keywords

💡Strike

A strike is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to perform their duties in protest against their employer's practices. In the video, workers come out on strike due to inhumane working conditions, highlighting the struggle for better occupational safety and health, which is a central theme of the video.

💡Occupational Safety and Health

Occupational safety and health (OSH) refers to the policies, procedures, and practices that aim to ensure the safety and health of employees in the workplace. The video underscores the importance of OSH as a major social concern of the 1980s, with workers asserting their right to a healthy and safe workplace, which has been codified into law.

💡Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution marked a period of rapid industrialization that occurred during the 19th century. The video mentions the post-Civil War American economy's expansion, which led to an increased demand for workers and, consequently, harsh and dangerous working conditions, illustrating the historical context of workplace safety issues.

💡Union

A union is an organization formed to protect the rights and interests of workers. The script discusses the lack of legal protection for unions in the past and how, over time, unions have become a powerful force in advocating for improved health and safety conditions in the workplace.

💡Tragedy

In the context of the video, tragedy refers to major accidents or disasters that have resulted in significant loss of life or injury. The script mentions several tragedies, such as the Mananga M disaster and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which led to the establishment of safety regulations and commissions.

💡Workmen's Compensation

Workmen's compensation is a form of insurance providing wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured in the course of employment. The video explains that the introduction of workmen's compensation provided financial security to workers for the first time, although it also limited their right to sue for damages.

💡OSHA

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a U.S. government agency responsible for enforcing standards and regulations to ensure safe and healthy working conditions. The script highlights OSHA's role in making and enforcing safety rules, emphasizing the legal framework supporting workers' rights to a safe workplace.

💡Toxic Chemicals

Toxic chemicals are substances that can cause harm to living organisms. The video discusses the presence of thousands of suspected toxic chemicals in the workplace and the associated health risks, such as cancer, illustrating the ongoing challenges in ensuring occupational safety.

💡Respirators

Respirators are devices that protect the wearer from inhaling hazardous particles, fumes, or gases. The script mentions the historical reliance on respirators to protect workers from industrial poisons and the evolution of respiratory protection, including the shift towards improved ventilation systems.

💡Voluntary Safety Movement

The voluntary safety movement refers to industry-driven efforts to establish safety guidelines and practices without direct government regulation. The video describes how companies began to implement safety measures such as guards around machinery and first aid stations, although it also notes the limitations of this approach.

💡Awareness and Advocacy

Awareness and advocacy involve raising consciousness about an issue and promoting change. The video discusses how journalists, social reformers, and labor leaders helped to expose the dangers of industrial work and advocate for workers' rights, contributing to the broader movement for occupational safety and health.

Highlights

Workers went on strike due to inhumane working conditions and the misuse of occupational safety and health.

Occupational safety and health emerged as a major social concern in the 1980s, with workers asserting their legal right to a healthy and safe workplace.

Workplace safety has a history of not always being recognized, with millions killed or disabled due to unsafe conditions.

After the Civil War, rapid American economic expansion led to an influx of immigrants seeking work but facing harsh conditions.

The lack of government safety rules and workers' rights led to high casualty rates among workers, such as railway and mining accidents.

Outraged journalists and social reformers supported workers' efforts to organize against harsh conditions.

The establishment of the Department of Labor in 1913 marked a government commitment to improving workplace safety.

Major tragedies, such as the Mananga M disaster, led to the creation of agencies like the Bureau of Mines to supervise safety.

The voluntary safety movement saw industries self-regulate by setting safety guidelines and improving working practices.

Early safety education often blamed workers' carelessness for accidents, overlooking systemic issues.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire highlighted the need for better factory safety inspections and regulations.

The development of workmen's compensation systems provided financial security for injured workers but limited their right to sue.

Industrialists believed the safety problem was solved, but many tragedies were not caused by workers' carelessness.

Workers today are more aware and proactive about safety issues, negotiating for necessary health and safety provisions.

The 1930s saw the introduction of legislation by Franklin D. Roosevelt that indirectly improved working conditions, including the right to unionize.

World War II brought health and safety to the forefront as preventing accidents saved workdays for the war effort.

Post-war technological advancements introduced new workplace hazards, with minimal research into their health effects.

The 1960s marked a revolution in occupational safety and health, influenced by the environmental and civil rights movements.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 established OSHA, confirming the legal right to a safe workplace and setting safety rules.

Workers are demanding access to medical records and information about the chemicals they work with to understand associated risks.

Unions are increasingly focusing on safety training and including health and safety clauses in contracts.

Workers are making history by questioning conditions, identifying risks, and claiming their legal right to safety and health.

Transcripts

we came out on strike because of the

inhumane working conditions but people

was being misused so

[Applause]

badly occupational safety and health is

a major social concern of the

1980s these people are part of that

movement they are asserting their right

now written into law to a healthy and

safe workplace this right has had a

ragged history it's not always been

recognized work has killed Millions

they've died from explosions Falls

electrocution dangerous Machinery from

breathing in poisons in the air Millions

more have been mutilated or permanently

disabled at

work this year it's estimated that up to

100,000 people will die from job related

injury or disease over 5 million will be

injured at

[Music]

work following the Civil War the

American economy was expanding

rapidly in the closing Decades of the

19th century production rates were

climbing and millions more workers were

needed between 1900 and 1910 nearly 9

million people immigrated to this

country looking for work and a better

life but many also found harsh

conditions long hours low wages the work

was tough and dangerous as the

production rate went up so did the

pressure on workers and the

casualties

Railway workers had one of the most

dangerous jobs nearly 15,000 were killed

between 192 and

198 mining accidents were frequent 4700

died building the Panama Canal in a

single Pennsylvania county 526 workers

were killed in one

[Music]

year there were few government rules

covering safety and health

and workers had few rights there was no

legal protection for unions when workers

did organize against these harsh

conditions their strikes were usually

broken by the company sometimes with the

aid of hired police or government

troops outraged journalists and social

reformers began to support workers

efforts to

organize photographer Lewis Hine expose

the horrors of child

labor novelist Upton Sinclair in his

classic work work the jungle described

the brutal lives of Chicago Stockyard

workers he said I wish to frighten the

country by a picture of what its

industrial Masters are doing to their

victims exposes like these finally led

the government to create the first

agencies to protect

workers woodro Wilson won labor support

by agreeing to improve safety in the

workplace in 1913 the Department of

Labor was

established pressure for change was

often finally effective only after a

major

tragedy after 361 men died in the

mananga M disaster of 197 the Bureau of

Mines was set up to supervise mind

safety gradually industry began to

regulate itself in what is known as the

voluntary safety movement the national

Safety Council founded in 1913 set

voluntary guidelines for safety

engineering and better working practices

companies put guards around dangerous

Machinery set up first aid stations and

began safety

classes but safety education stressed

that most accidents were the workers's

own

fault this film made by the National

Association of Manufacturers in 1911 was

one of many that singled out workers

carelessness as a cause of

[Music]

[Music]

disaster but many terrible tragedies

were not caused by workers carelessness

the same year that film was made a fire

burned the Triangle shirt waist Factory

in New York because many of the exits

were locked 146 people mostly young

immigrant women died again it was only

after the tragedy that the first

permanent commission to inspect Factory

safety was set up in New

York during the same time industry

helped establish a system to compensate

workers for accidents while this work 's

compensation system gave employees a

measure of Financial Security for the

first time it took away their right to

sue the company for damages the amount

of compensation was limited and workers

were not represented on the boards at

decided

claims but this growing concern for

workplace safety had some noticeable

results and accident and death rates

fell in fact many industrialists thought

the safety problem was

solved this safety film ended with an

idealized picture of a steel worker's

[Music]

life the safety and health committee can

be one of the most important committees

in the plant workers today like these at

a Chicago steel plant know the safety

problem is in organized and we know all

of us working in that plant that there's

just a myriad problems out there in

safety and health that we've got to

begin to do something about one thing is

for sure if we got a record a backlog of

safety and health Grievances and good

well attended meetings where people

bring out specific problems we're going

to be in a much better position to

negotiate that those kind of health and

safety Provisions that we need cuz

they're going to be based on something

real I've got a list here of 26

accidents that I've heard about many of

them serious a guy got 200 stitches uh

200 stitches 200 stitches another guy

got shocked with 2200 volts there was a

burner killed in the 34th he didn't pick

up his card at the end of the turn they

found him they went out to look for him

a few hours later and the blood was

already dry and everything he was under

several tons of steel the one case I

think uh some of the people here are

aware of is this case of Jesse buos at

the 30 in when I finished unscrewing I

had no idea that this piece of Steel was

supposed to drop on the

generator when it dropped when I

finished unscrewing when that piece of

Steel dropped he grabbed the tip of my

glove and I got caught these two fingers

I was stuck for 45 minutes they couldn't

do nothing until the doctor got there he

got there I think in about 20 minutes I

got the morphine shot it took a more or

less 45 minutes to get me free the foran

there should have told us what the job

was exactly going to going to do what it

was supposed to do and they should never

let me do that job by myself I was an

apprentice they didn't tell me what was

supposed to happen they didn't give me

no safety tip that is their job

management must provide safety training

before the man is put to work on that

job you have a

union something that we didn't have at

the beginning you have your unionen it

and fight that's the only thing you can

do the most important thing is policing

this thing and nobody else is going to

police it but but us than good that's

right like workers today workers in the

past faced not only sudden death or

injury from accidents but slow them from

fumes dusts and poisonous

gases doctors were slow to investigate

these industrial poisons and the

diseases that could result from

them the first major American study was

not until 1910 when a young doctor Alice

Hamilton investigated the effects of

lead poisoning

there were further government studies

into health hazards but few Industries

applied their findings and Workers

Health was virtually ignored by industry

until the

1960s okay what what we're going to do

now is a um a test the Bob Samuel has

silicosis resulting from 28 years

exposure to silica dust I started

working 51 as a labor and I went to

chipping and I chipped for the my time

until

1978 try to get all the air out of your

lungs okay I first noticed I was getting

sick back late

60s I got to start getting short of

breath push push more blow keep blowing

keep blowing then uh went to the doctor

and the doctor take an x-ray but they

didn't uh tell me what was you know

wrong so we decided we would call in the

federal government so after they come in

there they found out I ate a silic

Coos but the company thems have never

told me that I hatte it I had to find

this out to you know

doctors the company knew all along

because you had guys ha was dying for

me in the 1930s hundreds of men were

hired to dig the galy bridge tunnel in

West Virginia they too were ignorant of

the risks they ran desperate for jobs

during the ression they worked with

virtually no protection in a tunnel

thick with silica dust 476 men died here

from silicosis my name is Waller Kincade

I worked in the tunnel four or five

weeks every day I hear of someone dying

with silic

Co I worked until I got sick and the

doctor told me that it was silic Co and

he also told me that anyone that worked

as much as as 24 hours would not be

living 15 years I think something should

be done for our wives and family after

we are gone once again after the deaths

that was a public

outcry I personally believe that 2,000

men are doomed to die as a result of

Ruthless destruction Life by American

industry the next year 1936 the waly Act

was passed although it only applied to

contractors doing business with Federal

agencies it was the first time the

government directly imposed health and

safety standards one of the areas the

rules covered was the use of

respirators the respirator is one of the

oldest protected devices in history and

for years Workers Health continue to

depend on respirators alone to keep

poisonous dusts and fumes out of their

lungs but respirators often don't fit

properly they leak or simply don't

filter out enough of the poisons

today government strongly favors

cleaning the air in factories through

ventilation and other

devices but through the 1930s and 40s

industry continued to rely on ever more

elaborate

respirators today thanks to the

cooperation of safety men in many

Industries and government departments

who supported and helped guide the

development of respiratory protection

the Menace in the air is removed for

those who wear respirators for where men

once died we who wear respirators can

now live safely and life for us like the

air we breathe is

good red respirator is not going to do

you no good I would for 28

years and it didn't do me no good my

lungs is is filled with that

dust I can walk about maybe block

blocking half that's my best I can do

it's pretty rough when you're trying to

go up a flight of steps when you used to

run up run up there I can't do that

now and a lot of nights I get up I have

to get up all through the night and and

know be coughing I still split up the

that dust and it's still all in the pose

of my skin can't get

clean you don't know

tomorrow next week next

year you might

you just can't sit and think about it

but you just have to go ahead on out and

try to you know enjoy yourself do the

thing that you you know try to do the

thing you've been doing but don't worry

about it may my wife sit down and talk

told her when never come is just come I

just try to do the best I can a lot of

long at night you can't sleep you you

know you just dying day by

day

[Music]

the

1930s the

Depression years when you were lucky to

have a job at

all but Franklin delanor Roosevelt began

new dear legislation to help people

during the Depression he introduced jobs

for the unemployed Social Security a

minimum wage and the 40-hour work

week all the most of these laws did not

directly affect safety and health they

permanently raised the level of

government concern about working

conditions the National Labor Relations

Act made it a legal right to unionize

and in the 1930s industrial unions

organized and sought the right to

represent all workers in an industry in

the automobile industry for example the

United Auto workers struck at Flint

Toledo in Detroit and won the the right

to collective

bargaining labor was emerging as a

powerful force that would be better

prepared to deal with later health and

safety

issues then came the

war health and safety on the job

suddenly became an important issue

largely because preventing accidents

meant saving work days for the war

effort save a day to keep him

rolling

save a day to keep them

flying save a day that Americans of

tomorrow may live in a Land of Peace in

a land where Freedom

Reigns safety supervision was stepped up

in federal War plants and the need to

keep workers healthy led to some

advances in industrial engineering and

Medicine the Public Health Service lay

down its first standards setting maximum

levels for Dangerous air pollutants at

work but these first standards were

often far too lenient to clean the air

effectively and they could only be

enforced and plants with Federal

contracts for the rest of Industry they

were only voluntary guidelines so many

Workers Health still depended on the

Goodwill of the

[Music]

company with the end of World War II the

workplace itself was changing as an

explosion of technological inventions

and chemical discoveries brought a new

slew of dangerous dusts fumes and gases

that threatened

workers workers usually did not know

what they were handling or whether these

synthetics might cause cancer years

later but in the 1950s Research into the

health effects of these chemicals was

minimal it was not until the 1960s that

a new Revolution and occupational safety

and health began supported by two

parallel political

movements the environmental movement

began to question the long-term effects

of chemicals on our health and the Civil

Rights Movement made people more aware

of the rights of each individual these

movements created a climate of Reform

which encouraged other groups including

workers to demand more control over

their lives including their safety and

health we're going to help shape a

better future for the working people of

this country and for their families we

are pledged to bring safety to the

workbench and to bring safety to the job

site labor leaders work for the Johnson

Administration to propose a new

government agency to enforce health and

safety

rules this year I ask the Congress for a

workers safety Bill to protect

you but once again the law was was not

passed until after a major disaster when

78 miners were killed at Farmington West

Virginia in

1968 I think all of us have been at

fault in not taking aggressive action to

preserve 20th century safety and health

standards for the workers now there's a

Revolt in the minds and the workers are

going to get the kind of conditions that

they deserve and should have had within

one year the federal Coal Mine health

and safety Act was passed and in 197

Congress passed the occupational safety

and health act this confirmed in law the

right to a healthy and safe workplace

and established the occupational safety

and health administration or OSHA the

ACT says that employers have the primary

responsibility for providing a safe and

healthy workplace OSHA is responsible

for making safety rules and enforcing

them workers have a right to talk to

their supervisors their Union or OSHA

about safety and health

problems Jim belose suffers from failing

eyesight and severe skin discoloration

these job related problems affected both

him and his father who worked at the

same

plant I worked 24 years in the plant

they made silver nitrate I take silver

bullion and uh turn it into a liquid

form then we would put heat under it as

it started reacting you'd get yellow

poisonous fumes of it when they weighed

silver crystals up there used to be a

real strong dust that came off in them

that there helped turn the skin dark my

father worked there for a while his eyes

discolored when he was there his

complexion was dark too he was real

oldfashioned type person as long as you

got a job you just do it shut your mouth

and get your pay at the end of the week

and if it hurts your body it hurts your

body don't worry about it you

know and same with a lot of the older

guys they wouldn't ever say anything

well I think one of the things too that

they were always told it was never

harmful unlike his father Jim was

skeptical he and his co-workers called

in medical investigators from Mount

Sinai school of medicine and asked

management to make changes we were told

if we didn't like the way they

operated that we could go for a

walk and that's what started the whole

thing and and so our walking was right

to OSHA first day they were there U they

found 52 violations and 10 minutes the

four or five guys that really started

the whole

thing uh you know they were afraid of

losing their

jobs but they came to the point where

was a difference between your health or

the job so we choose took a choice of

our health I was afraid he's going to

lose his job you know cuz they said well

you know if you don't like it you don't

like the way I run the company leave you

know and we had four little kids at that

time you know smaller children and I

wasn't working so I thought oh my

goodness here we go you know so yeah

yeah I was for him you know cuz I know

that he didn't feel good a lot and like

our family life wasn't what it should

have been because of

it I sued for our eyes and we F we

fought the

case just a little while ago I got my

final settlement they didn't want to

passay it cuz they said it was just a

hazus occupation and those things just

came natural us people shouldn't have to

endanger their lives just for the

pleasures of other people get OSHA in

there make an

[Music]

effort today there are 20,000 chemicals

in the workplace that are suspected of

being

toxic about 1/5 of all cancer cases are

associated with exposure to chemicals on

the job and OSHA is working to reduce

these dangers by setting more

comprehensive

rules in addition to OSHA's presence the

unions are spending more time and money

on safety training and devoting more

contract language to health and safety

workers are demanding the right to see

their own medical records to be told the

names and properties of the chemicals

they work with to know the level of

risks they take on with the job

we have been trying to get the company

to give medical examinations for over

two years and so far they haven't

complied with any of OSHA's uh orders

OSHA had ordered the company to give

comprehensive medical examinations to

its workers some handling the toxic

chemical

Dees Dees is a female hormone that can

cause sexual

malformation the people at that time

were working without respirators uh and

if they use respirators they were dirty

they weren't clean they had no training

program uh people were very ill um some

of the guys grew breath alls I did was

mix the these little packets of pure DS

and some

liquid and I was exposed to this

and my breath enlarged and itched and I

had a lot of

trouble and I becoming important he got

the contamination so terribly bad that

he finally had to have

surgery and uh they had to cut him they

had to open him up breast to breast my

life now is

just I got a divorce in

1976

I my ex-wife got married again because

she didn't think I was

good I

I don't know what the story was but

anyway that's what

happened the big wheels of the company

they didn't care if you had to go get an

operation or anything they just figured

what the heck them not me they're doing

the right thing by being on

strike they probably shut the place down

but it's probably the best thing for all

people ever going to work there

again the reason why I took the DS job

in the first place because it was more

money

and right at that time I was in the

process of getting

married and I thought it'd be better for

me and my wife if we had more income

coming

in I was hoping that I wouldn't be one

of the ones that get it but I

did over the years American workers have

won the right to organize unions and the

right to have safe and healthy

workplaces sometimes these two rights

are exercised together

in Mississippi Gloria Jordan is trying

to organize her chicken processing plant

and one of the main issues is what she

knows to be harsh and dangerous working

conditions if you're looking for a job

who want a better job listen to this

message

from the dangerous job is cutting on the

saw these saws was placed right in front

of the ice house and they will keep the

ice door open so the people's hands

would get so cold they weren't able to

know if they is cutting the chickens are

cutting their hands pred job

opportunities for process imp plant

workers by several men got three or four

finals cut off excellent pay scale life

and hospitalization girl got one of her

breakfast cut off paid holidays and paid

vacation you only had three times a week

to go to the bathroom if you couldn't do

what you had to do in your clothes then

you would be suspended you could break

out and we call it chicken rash and it

looks like chicken box all over your

body as the workers have said prach the

chickens in his plant better than he

treats the human beings who work for him

the permission of going to the bathroom

you asked him please M let us go to the

bathroom and he wouldn't let you

go a pregnant woman 3 months pregnant

has to go to the bathroom and he

wouldn't let her go within 5 hours she

had a miscarriage

you to the workers of the that is not

misusing human being that is taking a

[Applause]

life we are very sure that this is the

right thing that we're doing striking

and making it better for our childrens

because we have already won we never

been so free in our

Liv

we are beginning to change our attitudes

to protest about dangers that used to be

accepted as part of the job we are

moving from halfhazard protecting

workers or compensating them after the

fact to trying to prevent hazards from

happening at

all workers themselves are making

history by questioning their working

conditions finding out the risks they

run and claiming their legal right to

safety and

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health

I

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the