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40 States, 100 Members of Congress, 100 Million Children To Protect From Lead

United Steelworkers (USW) Take Fight To Local Congressional Offices National Day of Action on Toxic Trade, Jan 16

Media Advisory                                                       January 15, 2007

Pittsburgh – Demanding Congress take immediate action to protect Americans from the dangerous threat posed by the millions of lead-laced toys and other unsafe products infiltrating our country, thousands of United Steelworkers (USW) members and their families will demonstrate at 100 congressional district offices across the country as part of a National Day of Action on Toxic Trade.

The USW will be joined by dozens of allied community, environmental and health organizations from across the country, as well as the AFL-CIO and other labor groups.

“The massive toy recalls this holiday season drew attention to the much larger problem of the countless dangerous imports – tires, toothpaste, fake drugs, pet food – making their way on to U.S. store shelves,” said USW President Leo W. Gerard, who has spearheaded the USW “Protect Our Kids – Stop Toxic Imports” campaign. “People are starting to realize that we’re paying the price for cheap, imported goods so corporations can make bigger profits. It’s time for our policymakers to fix this broken trade system, repair our regulatory agencies and protect our jobs and families.”

At this National Day of Action, the USW will call for support for the U.S. Food and Product Responsibility Act, introduced in the Senate by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and in the House by Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.).  This legislation would safeguard Americans against toxic food and products by shifting the responsibility on to the backs of the companies producing the goods and the importers importing them. 

“Products we made safe through regulation of U.S. manufacturers are coming in poisonous through a back door in trade policy,” said Dr. Herbert Needleman, a University of Pittsburgh professor who pioneered lead research and treatments 30 years ago. Dr. Needleman said he was deeply disappointed that “decades of progress through research have been reversed.”

Gerard pointed to the union’s long history of promoting lead safety, including pushing to get it out of the workplace and gasoline more than three decades ago. The USW also has been fighting for years against failed trade policies that have been bad for workers and communities.

“Our nation is at crossroads right now and it is time to make a stand to reverse the influx of toxic goods that move unchecked through our ports into our country,” said Gerard.

Over the past few months the USW Women of Steel have conducted lead screening tests in more than 25 cities across North America to educate families about this threat of lead contaminated toys and other products. The union is also offering free screening kits, for as long as they last, at www.stoptoxicimports.org or www.protect-our-kids.org. The kits also provide information and tools to deal with failed trade and inadequate regulatory policies that allow dangerous products to threaten our children and jobs.

“This threat to the health of our children and families is a direct result of unregulated trade and it will continue to grow until these flawed trade policies are addressed,” Gerard said.

The Steelworkers’ campaign is supported by a broad array of consumer and environmental organizations, including the Blue-Green Alliance (www.bluegreenalliance.org), the Public Health Institute and the Center for Environmental Health (www.cehca.org).

Beginning with the recall of 1.5 million Thomas the Tank Engine toys in June last year, more than 6 million toys have been recalled for high levels of lead. Lead can cause a variety of health problems, including learning disabilities, stunted growth, kidney damage and even death. Other toxic imports include lipstick, toothpaste, seafood, children’s lunchboxes and pet food.

The USW represents 850,000 workers in the United States and Canada employed in the industries of metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining and the service sector. For more information: www.usw.org/.

Contact: David Roscow (703) 276-2772 X 21

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