"I Want My Dues Back" Injured SEIU UHW Downey Kaiser Hospital Senior Orthopedic technician On The Resignation Of Andy Stern
by Gail Shephard
happyru(at)charter.net
I want my 18 years Dues, paid back! Leaving for personal reasons. It seems quite peculiar that Tom Short, President of the IATSE Union would have the very same statement in his sudden Retirement Announcement back in mid 2008. Also mid 2008, EPA Director Reg 9, Philip Armstrong took a sudden and surprising Retirement and headed for Africa on a Peace Corps Mission at approximately the same time more and more cases of illnesses began to surface that were extremely similar to those reported occurring at the Downey Studios in Downey CA. So I'm more than a bit interested if one of those personal reasons of Mr. Stern's might include the fact that thousands of SEIU Members are being exposed to Deadly Toxins at the New Kaiser Medical Center in Downey? SEIU has been made aware several times of the many Downey STudios IATSE Members and some Actors that became sick and how some SEIU Members had also become ill, with some deaths that might be related. The Hospital shares common ground with Downey Studios. The common ground, being 70+ years of contamination on a Manufacturing Plant that was once known as a DoE Atomics International /a DOD-Air Force Plant #16 with top security. It was lastly known as the NASA/ Boeing Industrial Plant that was a Prioritized SUPERFUND Site, but was wrongly downgraded to a Brownfield as Documents left behind in Mr. Armstrongs desk indicate. The land is thought by some to be so highly contaminated it should have been condemned. The State of California Bio-Monitoring Commitee has recognized the Kaiser Downey Hospital Employees as a population possibly being exposed to Toxins at a greater risk than that of the General Public. Now with the announcement made last week regarding the high rate of Birth Defects around the Kettleman Landfill starting in 2007 that have been linked to PCB's and high levels of Toluene, I would hope that the New EPA Director of Reg. 9 Mr. Blumenfeld is now looking into this since much of the contaminated soil under the New Kaiser Medical Center was taken to Kettleman starting somewhere in late 2005 - early 2006. PCB's at the Kaiser Construction Site were high as was also the Toluene levels. Yes, I am more than a bit interested, as I was an 18 year SEIU Member that was made sick by being placed to work in unsafe working conditions. Your early retirement Mr. Stern, is supported by the dues I paid for 18 years! When Patients were passing out back to back Mr Stern and SEIU was notified, they turned out to be COWARDS. I'll say I know that pain of losing a Daughter, March just 1 yr ago from tracking the toxins back to my home, and I'll say my retirement was a bit early at age 52, but mine came unexpectedly as a full on Disability Retirement, I wasn't able to make the choice of taking an early retirement Mr. Stern. It is a daily struggle to hold onto what little life I still have. I want my 18 years Dues, paid back, Mr. Stern!
Gail Shephard will be speaking and participating in the Downey LA Workers Memorial Day on Thursday April 29, 2010 at 4:15 PM
Other injured Kaiser workers are welcome to join and speak at the event.
http://www.workersmemorialday.org/documents/2010-LA-WMD.htm