Dave "Punch" Worthington, Ph.D, Asbestos Investigator, shown here investigating the Brooks Scanlon paper mill in Bend, Oregon. Punch has been assisting lawyers on asbestos cases since 1990 and has interviewed over 700 boilermakers, insulators, pipefitters, drywallers, painters, sheetmetal workers, machinsts and other tradesmen. He has a working knowledge of the variety of asbestos products that were used at the shipyards, paper mills, aluminum plants, office buildings, steel mills and power plants in Oregon, Washington and California and with each interview he adds to his vast product identification database.

Retired asbestos workers from Local Unions 7, 36 and 97 (Seattle, Portland and Anchorage) met in 1996 to voluntarily testify to working with Kaylo pipe covering and block in Alaska in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Left to right are Larry Traxinger, Chet Jackson, Curly Arnold, Dick Shoemaker, Andy Hatting, Buzz Larson, Al Beyer and Nick Hoag. I cannot say enough to underline the importance the International Association of Heat Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers union leadership for initially in the early 1970s blowing the lid off the concept promoted by the asbestos corporations that asbestos was as harmless as mothers’ milk. To this day the International and the individual Locals and members provide leadership in educating and testifying about the dangers of asbestos. All brother and sister workers of the building, metal and industrial trades owe these unsung heros a hats off recognition.

I attended again the annual Oregon Veteran Boxers picnic in July at Evie and Jimmy Gooding’s christmas tree farm near Estacada. As usual it was a really fun event attended by the ex-boxers, families, grandkids and friends. Several of the veteran boxers worked or still work at the Swan Island shipyards or in the construction trades. Every year some of the best boxers, managers or trainers are inducted into the Oregon Boxers Hall of Fame at the picnic. Two asbestotic clients of Roger G. Worthington, P.C. hall of famers are ex-middle weight contender Dick Wagner and feather weight Joe Clemo (Boilermakers Local 72). Other past top world contenders present were Richie Sue (Local 63 marine machinist), Ray Lampkin (building contractor), Thad Spenser, Boon Kirkman and Jimmy "Bang-Bang" Walker.

Patti Chandler

Bud Slate

Patti Chandler (left) of my old office in the Carpenters Union Hall in North Portland has been having a great fishing year with her man Tom. Tom is a true fisherman and this year has been a great one for Chinooks and Silvers. Patti has also been doing some free lance investigating for asbestos plaintiffs. I get a lot of calls from former clients lamenting the "good old days" and wishing well for Patti and her family. 

Mike Fahey who for many years headed the Portland Metal Trades Council is now teamed up with Bill Skalak doing low interest home mortgages for union families. The union movement misses him but he is still involved with working people which is no surprise to anyone who knows Mike and his wife Sandy.

Bud Slate, retired shipwright, army WW II and Korean War veteran, and former client shown here near his home in North Portland has been studying his Choctaw and Cherokee genealogy. He loves Ford pick-ups.

On November 30, 1999 I joined 40,000 other unionists and environmentalists to rally and march against the unfair trade/labor practices being imposed globally by the World Trade Organization (WTO) group of corporations and member nations. These corporate interests have set up rules that spiral wages, work conditions and consumer/environmental protection down to the lowest common denominators. The rules are set up to maximize immediate corporate profits to trump all other interests and to supersede any existing laws of sovereign nations that sign on.

Under this concept it is quite likely that the U.S. laws banning or limiting the use of asbestos in various products would be deemed "unfair" thus allowing a flood of asbestos products from countries such as Japan, Russia and South Africa where the industry still flourishes. This would turn the clock back to the something like the 1960s. It was good to see that labor was in solidarity with overseas workers and environmentalists fighting for their same common interests. Many of the speeches at the rally were by the heads of the various United States and Canadian Labor Unions and Union representatives from Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Year in Review, 1995

As I look back on the year, I can definitely deem 1995 an overall success for union solidarity. In 1995, over 450 union members and retirees have participated in the asbestos medical screenings in Alaska, Oregon and Washington. Of those who were diagnosed with asbestos scarring, many have already received several settlement checks. In at least two instances, two brothers were diagnosed on chest films with tumors that were soon after surgically removed. In several cases, co-workers have stepped forward to help widows or claimants who were too sick to go through a deposition.

Sadly, more work needs to be done. As the sun is now setting on the rights of workers to seek relief in the court system because of tort reform, bankruptcies and class actions, I continue to talk to hundreds of exposed workers who have no idea of their rights to compensation for asbestos injuries. I still speak to too many workers who do not know about the campaign being waged by federal courts, insurance companies, legislators and asbestos companies to strip them of the limited rights they have.

How do we get the word out? How do we marshall the product evidence? How do we make sure the doctors are experts? The answer is UNIONISM! Consider if you were a non-union construction worker in a "right to work" state like Idaho. How would you know about an asbestos screening? Who would sponsor the screening? How would you find co-workers to help you identify jobsites and products from 30 plus years ago? Indeed, how would you even know today that asbestos is a health hazard? Who would advise you to learn your legal rights? The answer is of course "nobody." Without union solidarity, it would not happen.

D.H. "Punch" Worthington, Ph.D.