FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Joe Drexler, USW strategic campaigns dept., 615.594.2074
Jim Rowe, President, USW Local 943, 609.420.1480
USW Applauds “Peoples Victory” in Defeating DuPont Plan to Treat Army Nerve Gas Waste in New Jersey
January 8, 2007, Nashville, Tennessee - The United Steelworkers (USW), which represents workers at DuPont’s Chambers Works plant in New Jersey where DuPont wanted to treat the highly dangerous waste of the VX nerve agent for the U.S. Army , today applauded DuPont Company’s (NYSE: DD) decision to pull out of the effort.
“We congratulate DuPont for making the decision, but the company was left with no choice since everyone was opposed --workers, environmentalists, the community and elected representatives,” said Jim Rowe, President of USW Local 943 at Chambers Works. “The real thanks and congratulations go to those groups who led this effort for over three years, and we are pleased to have played a role.”
The USW spoke against the plan at DuPont’s shareholders meeting in May 2006 and had opposed it since 2005.
The decision not to seek the Army contract is the second time in the past year that DuPont has scuttled plans to secure lucrative government contracts, having dropped an effort in February 2006 to operate the Savannah River Site (SRS) and nuclear complex in South Carolina after the USW called attention to DuPont’s poor environmental and safety record during its 40 years of managing the site.
The USW continues to conduct its DuPont Accountability Project, and challenge DuPont’s record and statements on environmental sustainability.
“DuPont’s record shows time and time again that the company can’t be trusted, and that whatever it undertakes will draw deep skepticism and suspicion from an informed public,” said Ken Test, Chairman of the USW DuPont Union Council. “DuPont has a lot of work ahead before confidence can be instilled in its operations.”
The USW is the largest union at DuPont and represents 1,800 workers at six plants.
For more information on DuPont’s safety, health and environmental record, see www.dupontsafetyrevealed.org
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