Experienced union employees remain locked out by company
Contact: John Paul Smith: (618) 638-7894, jsmith@usw7-669.com
Metropolis, Ill. (October 28, 2014) – The United Steelworkers (USW) union is calling for an investigation after photos and videos taken Sunday evening showed suspected hazardous gas escaping the Honeywell uranium conversion facility in Metropolis, Ill.
The suspected release of uranium hexafluoride (UF6) comes nearly three months after Honeywell locked out 150 USW Local 7-669 members on Aug. 2 and replaced a group of experienced and well-trained workers with temporary laborers who lack adequate experience in dealing with hazardous substances.
“It is time for Honeywell to end this senseless lockout, return these 150 experienced workers to their jobs, and come to terms on a new, fair contract agreement,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard.
“Furthermore, the USW calls on U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who represents at least half of the permanent Honeywell workforce, to seek a full investigation into this incident to make sure it never happens again. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) must perform an independent investigation of the release and the failed response.”
In conversations with USW Local 7-669 President Stephen Lech, an NRC representative blamed Sunday’s leak on the failure of equipment that was installed by outside contractors, work that was previously done in-house by USW members.
UF6, used in the uranium enrichment process, is highly corrosive and reactive and can cause severe burns and serious radiation exposure upon contact with skin.
While a Honeywell representative in New Jersey told local media that “there is no indication that any material has left the building,” raw video taken outside the plant (see links below) shows the suspected gas leaving the building for at least six minutes before water mitigation towers were activated.
Witnesses who saw the plume leaving the plant property placed multiple 911 calls but were told that the release was “in house” and “under control.”
“There was a systematic breakdown in the response to the emergency. It wasn’t just our people; local citizens called 911 and were told that the company has reported the situation to be under control, all while they watched the gaseous vapor leave the building and the site,” said Lech, who was on the scene during the incident. “A company spokesman in New Jersey and an NRC office in Georgia were reporting on events in Metropolis while we watched the reality of the situation unfold.”
The USW also is calling for an immediate “town hall” meeting with the company to provide the community and employees with an explanation and to offer citizens a chance to voice their concerns.
“By continuing this foolish lockout, Honeywell is putting not just employees but an entire community at risk of disaster,” said USW Health, Safety and Environment Director Mike Wright. “This situation has to end.”
The USW is the largest industrial union in North America, representing workers in a wide range of industries including metals, mining, rubber, paper and forestry, oil refining, health care, security, hotels, and municipal governments and agencies.
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