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NEWS from the Steelworkers FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 7, 2000 Federal Investigation Cites Inadequate Training and 'Negligence' in Gramercy Explosion GRAMERCY, LA, January 7, 2000 - The United Steelworkers of America today welcomed the citations issued by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration against Kaiser Aluminum (NYSE:KLU). "We're very pleased to see them," said Stanley Folse, safety and health chairman for USWA Local Union 5702. "MSHA's citations prove what we've said all along. Kaiser ran this plant in a dangerous and irresponsible way, with badly trained replacement workers, after locking out its experienced workforce." The citations arose from MSHA's investigation of the July 5, 1999 explosion that destroyed much of the plant, causing numerous injuries. The company was charged with twenty-one serious violations of mandatory safety standards and other regulations. Thirteen of those were "unwarrantable," the most severe kind of citation the agency can issue. Violations included inoperative pressure relief systems, blocked pressure relief piping, routine operation of pressure vessels beyond their design capacity, inadequate safety training, and lack of proper protective equipment. MSHA said that these violations constituted "more than ordinary negligence." In addition, Kaiser was charged with seven counts of impeding or interfering with MSHA's investigation, ignoring MSHA orders not to enter areas rendered hazardous by the explosion, and wrongly claiming that data requested by MSHA did not exist. MSHA's proposed penalties will be released later, as will the agency's investigation report on the July 5 explosion. Some of the violations could also be referred to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution. USWA members at Kaiser went on strike September 30, 1998. They subsequently offered to return to work while continuing to negotiate, but the company refused. The workers have been locked out since January 14, 1999. Supervisors and replacement workers were operating the plant at the time of the explosion. "Kaiser deserves the most severe penalties allowed by law," said David Foster, director of the USWA's district 11 and chair of the union's Kaiser negotiating committee. "But in the long run we want this plant to reopen with a skilled workforce of steelworkers under a fair contract. It's time for Kaiser to end their lockout, bargain with us in good faith, and work with us to make Gramercy a safe place to work." --30-- Contacts: Stanley Folse, Sam Thomas, USWA Local 5702 225-869-3273 Harry Tuggle, USWA Safety Specialist 412-562-2587
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