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FEEDBACK
Dear Editor,
Upon completion of reading this month's CWA News article, "Newspaper Cited by OSHA", I felt maybe "our" experience with an OSHA inspection might help other mailers throughout CWA.
OSHA was called into our mailroom after concerns were made by fellow members to union officials, about unsafe machine guarding, and having to make "adjustments" while the machines were in operation.
The machines, used by mailers throughout the newspaper industry, are GMA SLS 1000 inserting machines. Management maintained that adjustments, to the "heads" of the SLS, were necessary during operation and that we are required to make these adjustments. The union's stance was that it presents an immediate danger to the person making the adjustments with possible finger amputation, and that the adjustments need to be performed when the machine is stopped. Further, the union argued that if there were adequate machine guarding, the employees would not be able to make these adjustments.
OSHA inspected the mailroom machines and concluded that the machines were inadequately guarded, and the adjustments management deemed necessary and safe, were in fact unsafe, and cited the employer. The employer is in the process of making the appropriate changes to the machines, and mailers are no longer making adjustments they once had to do when the machines were in operation.
We, as workers, must stand together with others throughout the industry, to help each other create better conditions to work under. I hope you find this useful, and if you have any questions in regards to this, feel free to contact me.
Daniel F. Wasser, President
Mailers Local 128 (CWA 14840)
Dear Editor:
Just a short letter to let you know about some of our new members in CWA.
On Sunday morning, March 22, 1998 seven blind and visually-impaired athletes and three guide dogs were flying back to New York from Columbia, S.C. after competing at a regional sports tournament.
Upon boarding their connecting flight at Charlotte, N.C., they soon learned that because of a snow storm that morning in New York City, LaGuardia Airport was closed and their flight was canceled. All other flights going back to New York that day were booked solid.
Our CWA gate attendants for U.S. Airways took personal responsibility for these seven members of the New York Association for Blind Athletes and their guide dogs. They took the athletes to get something to eat, helped them make phone calls home, and took care of their dogs' needs.
Fortunately, they were able to get them all on a flight together to Newark and provided them with transportation back to Manhattan. The athletes reported back to me about how well they were treated by the employees of U.S. Airways.
As secretary/treasurer of NYABA, I cannot tell you how appreciative I am for all the help these people provided that day. I don't know how to recognize the CWA people at Charlotte, but I thought you would enjoy this letter about some of our new members in CWA.
Daniel S. Parisi, Vice President
CWA Local 1104
Upon completion of reading this month's CWA News article, "Newspaper Cited by OSHA", I felt maybe "our" experience with an OSHA inspection might help other mailers throughout CWA.
OSHA was called into our mailroom after concerns were made by fellow members to union officials, about unsafe machine guarding, and having to make "adjustments" while the machines were in operation.
The machines, used by mailers throughout the newspaper industry, are GMA SLS 1000 inserting machines. Management maintained that adjustments, to the "heads" of the SLS, were necessary during operation and that we are required to make these adjustments. The union's stance was that it presents an immediate danger to the person making the adjustments with possible finger amputation, and that the adjustments need to be performed when the machine is stopped. Further, the union argued that if there were adequate machine guarding, the employees would not be able to make these adjustments.
OSHA inspected the mailroom machines and concluded that the machines were inadequately guarded, and the adjustments management deemed necessary and safe, were in fact unsafe, and cited the employer. The employer is in the process of making the appropriate changes to the machines, and mailers are no longer making adjustments they once had to do when the machines were in operation.
We, as workers, must stand together with others throughout the industry, to help each other create better conditions to work under. I hope you find this useful, and if you have any questions in regards to this, feel free to contact me.
Daniel F. Wasser, President
Mailers Local 128 (CWA 14840)
Dear Editor:
Just a short letter to let you know about some of our new members in CWA.
On Sunday morning, March 22, 1998 seven blind and visually-impaired athletes and three guide dogs were flying back to New York from Columbia, S.C. after competing at a regional sports tournament.
Upon boarding their connecting flight at Charlotte, N.C., they soon learned that because of a snow storm that morning in New York City, LaGuardia Airport was closed and their flight was canceled. All other flights going back to New York that day were booked solid.
Our CWA gate attendants for U.S. Airways took personal responsibility for these seven members of the New York Association for Blind Athletes and their guide dogs. They took the athletes to get something to eat, helped them make phone calls home, and took care of their dogs' needs.
Fortunately, they were able to get them all on a flight together to Newark and provided them with transportation back to Manhattan. The athletes reported back to me about how well they were treated by the employees of U.S. Airways.
As secretary/treasurer of NYABA, I cannot tell you how appreciative I am for all the help these people provided that day. I don't know how to recognize the CWA people at Charlotte, but I thought you would enjoy this letter about some of our new members in CWA.
Daniel S. Parisi, Vice President
CWA Local 1104