Videos show clouds of dust, smoke, and fumes engulfing the filthy warehouse. Visible fumes rise out of barrels of hydrofluoric acid and other poisonous chemicals. Orange clouds are pumped out of the warehouse and into Chicago’s airspace. Barrels are positioned near clear structural hazards like cracked walls and damaged pillars.
These images confirm what striking Mauser Teamsters have charged: that Mauser is putting its workers’ in daily, direct danger.
Access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is inconsistent. The little PPE that is provided is a shoddy afterthought. Instead of respirators, workers often get flimsy surgical masks that can’t filter particles. They’re handed thin plastic aprons that melt in the warehouse’s heat, which often rises to 130 degrees. Modern ventilation systems are nearly nonexistent in the warehouse. Workers breathe in a steady stream of fumes while they work.
Likewise, the company refuses to provide consistent access to uniforms, so workers must wear their own clothing while handling hazardous chemicals. “The fear is that workers don’t have a uniform and have to wash their clothes, and they have to mix it with their children’s or wife’s clothes, and they don’t know what the impact will be,” says Arturo Landa, a shop steward at Mauser and a member of the bargaining committee.
Mauser also refuses to agree to basic protections for its immigrant workers. Local 705 has proposed common-sense measures to prevent ICE from entering the workplace without a judicial warrant. These measures wouldn’t cost the company a dime. Mauser refuses, because it prefers for its employees to work in a climate of fear.
“Behind every worker, there’s a family that depends on them,” says Landa. Mauser must be held accountable for the danger in which they’ve placed workers and their families, and Teamsters Local 705 will do whatever it takes to get justice.