UNITE HERE Testimony at Congressional Hearing on Workplace Safety

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.unitehere.org/presscenter/release.php?ID=3398

Press Center

For Immediate Release
January 14, 2008
Eric Sharfstein
212-332-9373

UNITE HERE Testimony at Congressional Hearing on Workplace Safety

Testimony of Eric Frumin, Director of Occupational Safety and Health, UNITE HERE

Before the Subcommittee on Workforce Protection, House Committee on Education and Labor

Hearing on Workplace Tragedies: Examining Problems and Solutions

January 14, 2008

Linden City Hall

Linden, NJ

Mme. Chairwoman, Mr. Payne, other members of the Committee:

UNITE HERE greatly appreciates the opportunity to testify about the terrible tragedy at the North East Linen Co. that killed Victor Diaz and Carlos Diaz on December 1, 2007. We also appreciate your interest in holding this hearing to bring the facts to the public’s attention.

For too long, when dangerous conditions and bad management result in workers’ deaths, the workers die alone. Few people pay any attention other than their families, their co-workers and the crew on the ambulance or in the emergency room.

The situation at North East Linen was different, at least because some people in the news media paid a lot of attention for a few days. And because you are here today focusing your own attention on these events.

But that does not make this tragedy any less terrible for the families of Victor Diaz and Carlos Diaz. No matter how much attention anyone pays today and tomorrow, they are gone - ripped from their families in a sudden, brutal moment.

We do not know exactly how this brutality came about.

We do not know who at North East Linen gave an order for Victor or Carlos to go into the tank.

FULL story at link.