The first explosion and fire occurred on April 2 at the Tesoro petroleum refinery in Anacortes, Wash. It killed five Steelworkers: Matthew C. Bowen, 31, Darrin J. Hoines, 43, Daniel J. Aldridge, 50, Kathryn Powell, 29, and Donna Van Dreumel, 36. All were members of Local 12-591, a former Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers local. Steelworker Matt Gumbel, 34, and supervisor Lew Janz, 41, a former USW member, were severely burned and hospitalized in critical condition.
The second explosion, on April 6 at the non-union Massey Coal Co., mine in Whitesville, W. Va., killed 25 miners and left four more missing.
online pharmacy purchase strattera online no prescription
Both the United Steelworkers and the United Mine Workers dispatched investigative teams to the sites, even though Massey’s management is aggressively anti-union and even though the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia is non-union.
online pharmacy order aricept no prescription with best prices today in the USA
Democratic President Barack Obama got involved, too. Noting the West Virginia blast caused the most fatalities in 25 years, he demanded preliminary reports on its cause – and what the feds can do to stop future explosions.
“This is a very difficult time for the families, friends and co-workers of these employees as well as for the entire work force at the refinery. Our thoughts and our prayers go out to them,” said USW President Leo Gerard after the Tesoro explosion and fire. “Kathryn Powell and Donna Van Dreumel were true Women of Steel.”
“It is obvious this industry still has not learned from other refinery disasters and near-misses,” said USW Vice President Gary Beevers, who heads the union’s oil sector. “They are more concerned with their image than taking appropriate action on safety.” His comments were prompted by industry lobbies citing the oil firms’ safety record.
online pharmacy mobic no prescription with best prices today in the USA
“The hearts and prayers of all UMWA members are with the families of those lost at Upper Big Branch. We are all brothers and sisters in the coalfields at times like this,” explained Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts. The union pledged to help the miners’ families, besides dispatching the investigators.
But unionists also didn’t hesitate to point out the companies put profits first, by disregarding safety. Massey, the huge coal company that owns Upper Big Branch, was fined just last year for inadequate ventilation and safety equipment at that mine. Overall, it’s been fined 1,342 times since 2005 for safety violations at its 65 mines. Massey appealed many of the fines, which total $1.89 million.
Last year, the Mine Safety and Health Administration proposed $382,000 in fines against Massey mines – a small percentage of Massey’s $2.69 billion in 2009 revenue and $297.5 million in gross profits. Massey’s appalling record led AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka, a former Mine Workers president, to slam the company.
“This incident isn\'t just a matter of happenstance, but rather the inevitable result of a profit-driven system and reckless corporate conduct. Many mining companies have given too little attention to safety over the years and too much to the bottom line,” Trumka said.
Mark Gruenberg writes for Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.
The Steelworkers had sharp words for Tesoro’s safety lapses.
The National Petrochemical and Refiners Association “brags the industry has a lower injury rate than the U.S. manufacturing sector as a whole,” USW noted. “It’s incredible this industry brags about its safety record just after five people were killed in a refinery explosion.”
The chair of the independent U.S. Chemical Safety Board, John Bresland, also
criticized the safety record of the entire oil industry. “The CSB has 18 ongoing investigations. Of those, seven occurred at refineries. This is a significant and disturbing trend the refining industry needs to address immediately,” he said.
Share
The first explosion and fire occurred on April 2 at the Tesoro petroleum refinery in Anacortes, Wash. It killed five Steelworkers: Matthew C. Bowen, 31, Darrin J. Hoines, 43, Daniel J. Aldridge, 50, Kathryn Powell, 29, and Donna Van Dreumel, 36. All were members of Local 12-591, a former Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers local. Steelworker Matt Gumbel, 34, and supervisor Lew Janz, 41, a former USW member, were severely burned and hospitalized in critical condition.
The second explosion, on April 6 at the non-union Massey Coal Co., mine in Whitesville, W. Va., killed 25 miners and left four more missing.
online pharmacy purchase strattera online no prescription
Both the United Steelworkers and the United Mine Workers dispatched investigative teams to the sites, even though Massey’s management is aggressively anti-union and even though the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia is non-union.
online pharmacy order aricept no prescription with best prices today in the USA
Democratic President Barack Obama got involved, too. Noting the West Virginia blast caused the most fatalities in 25 years, he demanded preliminary reports on its cause – and what the feds can do to stop future explosions.
“This is a very difficult time for the families, friends and co-workers of these employees as well as for the entire work force at the refinery. Our thoughts and our prayers go out to them,” said USW President Leo Gerard after the Tesoro explosion and fire. “Kathryn Powell and Donna Van Dreumel were true Women of Steel.”
“It is obvious this industry still has not learned from other refinery disasters and near-misses,” said USW Vice President Gary Beevers, who heads the union’s oil sector. “They are more concerned with their image than taking appropriate action on safety.” His comments were prompted by industry lobbies citing the oil firms’ safety record.
online pharmacy mobic no prescription with best prices today in the USA
“The hearts and prayers of all UMWA members are with the families of those lost at Upper Big Branch. We are all brothers and sisters in the coalfields at times like this,” explained Mine Workers President Cecil Roberts. The union pledged to help the miners’ families, besides dispatching the investigators.
But unionists also didn’t hesitate to point out the companies put profits first, by disregarding safety. Massey, the huge coal company that owns Upper Big Branch, was fined just last year for inadequate ventilation and safety equipment at that mine. Overall, it’s been fined 1,342 times since 2005 for safety violations at its 65 mines. Massey appealed many of the fines, which total $1.89 million.
Last year, the Mine Safety and Health Administration proposed $382,000 in fines against Massey mines – a small percentage of Massey’s $2.69 billion in 2009 revenue and $297.5 million in gross profits. Massey’s appalling record led AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka, a former Mine Workers president, to slam the company.
“This incident isn\’t just a matter of happenstance, but rather the inevitable result of a profit-driven system and reckless corporate conduct. Many mining companies have given too little attention to safety over the years and too much to the bottom line,” Trumka said.
Mark Gruenberg writes for Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.
The Steelworkers had sharp words for Tesoro’s safety lapses.
The National Petrochemical and Refiners Association “brags the industry has a lower injury rate than the U.S. manufacturing sector as a whole,” USW noted. “It’s incredible this industry brags about its safety record just after five people were killed in a refinery explosion.”
The chair of the independent U.S. Chemical Safety Board, John Bresland, also
criticized the safety record of the entire oil industry. “The CSB has 18 ongoing investigations. Of those, seven occurred at refineries. This is a significant and disturbing trend the refining industry needs to address immediately,” he said.