minute read
ADVERTISEMENT
On Wednesday, a rail union leader penned a series of letters to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Federal Railroad Administration administrator Amit Bose, East Palestine Mayor Trent Conaway, and Ohio governor Mike DeWine, alleging that workers at the East Palestine train derailment site were falling ill.
Jonathan Long, general chairman of the American Rail System Federation of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, claimed that those tasked with handling the disaster were experiencing "migraines and nausea," and urged the relevant authorities to force Norfolk Southern to ramp up their safety standards.
In the letter, Long lamented the fact that in the immediate aftermath of the February 3 derailment, while residents of East Palestine were advised to evacuate the area out of fears they could be poisoned, rail workers were brought in to begin cleaning up the wreckage.
"I received reports," Long stated, "that NS neither offered nor provided these workers with appropriate personal protective equipment, such as respirators that are designed to permit safely working around vinyl chloride, eye protection, and protective clothing such as chemical restraint suits, rubber overboots and rubber gloves rated for safely working around the spilled chemicals that prevent direct contact with such substances."
Many employees, he continued, "reported that they continue to experience migraines and nausea, days after the derailment, and they all suspect they were willingly exposed to these chemicals at the direction of NS."
Long slammed Norfolk Southern for cutting costs in its alleged "quest for more record-breaking profits at the sacrifice of safety," and called on Buttigieg and the aforementioned recipients of the letters to "help bring about ... necessary changes before more trains go off the rails in communities like East Palestine."
Later Wednesday, leaders of twelve unions met with authorities in Washington, DC to discuss the situation. Jeremy Ferguson, president of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division, said it was a "good start," adding that, "it's important these safety issues are addressed."
According to CNBC, more talks between Buttigieg and union leaders are expected in the near future.
Jonathan Long, general chairman of the American Rail System Federation of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, claimed that those tasked with handling the disaster were experiencing "migraines and nausea," and urged the relevant authorities to force Norfolk Southern to ramp up their safety standards.
In the letter, Long lamented the fact that in the immediate aftermath of the February 3 derailment, while residents of East Palestine were advised to evacuate the area out of fears they could be poisoned, rail workers were brought in to begin cleaning up the wreckage.
"I received reports," Long stated, "that NS neither offered nor provided these workers with appropriate personal protective equipment, such as respirators that are designed to permit safely working around vinyl chloride, eye protection, and protective clothing such as chemical restraint suits, rubber overboots and rubber gloves rated for safely working around the spilled chemicals that prevent direct contact with such substances."
Many employees, he continued, "reported that they continue to experience migraines and nausea, days after the derailment, and they all suspect they were willingly exposed to these chemicals at the direction of NS."
Long slammed Norfolk Southern for cutting costs in its alleged "quest for more record-breaking profits at the sacrifice of safety," and called on Buttigieg and the aforementioned recipients of the letters to "help bring about ... necessary changes before more trains go off the rails in communities like East Palestine."
Later Wednesday, leaders of twelve unions met with authorities in Washington, DC to discuss the situation. Jeremy Ferguson, president of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division, said it was a "good start," adding that, "it's important these safety issues are addressed."
According to CNBC, more talks between Buttigieg and union leaders are expected in the near future.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Sign in to comment
Powered by StructureCMS™ Comments
Join and support independent free thinkers!
We’re independent and can’t be cancelled. The establishment media is increasingly dedicated to divisive cancel culture, corporate wokeism, and political correctness, all while covering up corruption from the corridors of power. The need for fact-based journalism and thoughtful analysis has never been greater. When you support The Post Millennial, you support freedom of the press at a time when it's under direct attack. Join the ranks of independent, free thinkers by supporting us today for as little as $1.
Remind me next month
To find out what personal data we collect and how we use it, please visit our Privacy Policy
Comments