State Continues to Send Salem DOR Employees to Work in Unhealthy Building
March 23, 2009
Despite strong evidence of noxious chemicals sickening employees at DOR offices in Salem, the Commonwealth continues to ignore NAGE's plea to move the employees to a safe and healthy building.
"It's outrageous that we have to keep fighting the state to give these employees a toxin-free environment," said Unit 6, Local 207 President Theresa McGoldrick. "They appear to be more concerned about taking care of the building landlord than their own workers."
For years, members who work at the Salem office have complained of serious skin and respiratory ailments that abate after time away from the office. Illnesses range from skin rashes to severe headaches to chronic sinus problems to nagging eye irritations, and symptons described are consistent across a broad range of employees.
The union has long suspected a connection between the illnesses and the presence in the building of tenants who store and use hazardous chemicals. Material Safety Data Sheets submitted by these tenants—and provided to the union only after prolonged badgering of the state—confirm NAGE's suspicions: Hazardous chemicals that cause the kinds of ailments described by the DOR employeees are stored and used in proximity to DOR offices.
In a recent visit to the Salem offices, Local 207 President McGoldrick reported being hit by a strong chemical odor immediately upon entering space adjacent to the DOR offices. She further discovered signs indicating the storage of large-container industrial chemicals.
"As I was about to enter the DOR office I noticed an open door directly across the hall," she said. "A few feet inside the door there were a number of warning signs, among which is one stating DANGER ACID—Keep all cylinders chained. There is another one stating: DANGER—No smoking matches or open lights."
NAGE last week sent a letter to OER Director Mark D'Angelo again drawing attention to the harmful, unhealthy conditions the state is forcing employees to work under.
"A safe, healthy work environment shouldn;t be too much to ask for," said McGoldrick.
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