Minnesota Bridge Collapse
by Rosebuddear
Sat Feb 23, 2008 at 08:23:58 PM PDT
Some new interesting stuff
- Rosebuddear's diary :: ::
Well, my neighbor came over today, and had coffee with me on a Saturday morning (so many of my diaries start with coffee and conversation, don't they? infamous Coffee With Dad, etc.)
Our other neighbor, on the other side of him, is dying of lung disease brought on by years of concrete work and breathing concrete dust. The guy is 70 some years old, I love him dearly, I will be really sorry when he finally goes from this vile disease.
His son is in the same profession. Concrete work. He has been working on the collapsed Minnesota 35W bridge. And he has been working on the new bridge, at very good Union wages, and now has been laid off.
Why? Well the official word is that he's not physically up to the task. Older guy, 50s, hip replacement, etc. Except that it seems he was QUITE up to the task until he started talking to OSHA.
That concrete dust does terrible things to your lungs. And during the day, all is well for the cameras, everybody wears a respirator, OSHA and NTSB are on site, and all is well.
But on second and third shift, that stuff breaks down, the cameras aren't there, and the guys are there laying concrete, breathing in that dust, and not being supplied with respirators.
My neighbor's friend's son brought his own respirator and went down and in the freezing cold, jackhammered out all that concrete on the river. Did that for weeks and then went to OSHA and handed them his vilely gunked up mask and asked them why EVERYBODY wasn't required to wear one. Seems that about five minutes after he did that, he was suddenly and mysteriously LAID OFF from the very lucrative Union Job.
Well, isn't that interesting? Like a Potemkin Job Site. Perfect for the cameras during the day and then at night, you send the guys down into to the hole, and they breathe concrete dust.
And now this guy has been LAID OFF, on trumped up bullshit.
I was horrified as you might imagine. I asked my neighbor if he had Lawyered Up, and sued those bastards. He said oh yes he has. We'll see if it works. No wonder the Bushies hate trial lawyers.
My neighbor's son? well he's pretty philosophical about it" I made a hell of a lot of money Phil" haha can't blame him at all.
He is pursuing a court case, though, because he thinks that allowing other guys to work down there in the Hole and breathe concrete dust is wrong and bullshit
