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Sunday, March 30, 1997

Asbestos work - it's a dangerous job

Justice in Asbestos and other activist groups are working to end unsafe work conditions.By Angela Paymard

Daily Bruin Contributor

Jose Ayala worked seven hours without a break and without water while removing asbestos from Royce and Hedrick halls last year.

Wearing a full-body thermal protective suit with a respirator, he worked in isolated spaces that were covered by plastic, and maintained negative pressure in the areas to keep toxic asbestos from escaping.

The worst part: Ayala "was paid $2.11 less per hour than mandated by the state," said Deborah Axt, a union organizer. "That means he basically worked half of Friday for free. I think he could find something better to do with his free time."

Although the Environmental Protection Agency has established regulations on many facets of asbestos removal, worker complaints are increasing on topics from unjust wages to unsafe working conditions.

In response to these grievances, at UCLA and elsewhere, union and non-union workers have organized Justice in Asbestos, a campaign for workers' health and safety in the industry.

"OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) regulations are not regularly enforced, (and) if you call OSHA, it takes them so long to get there that the job is over or the company has time to clean up," Axt said. "We can't get just conditions with the industry like it is right now."

Ayala's employer Remtech, an asbestos abatement company, has been accused by campaign organizers of improperly paying their workers.

Qualification for the state prevailing wage is determined by the total number of hours that laborers have worked in the industry. Employees start at step one, moving on to step two after 500 hours, then to step three after 1,000 hours, with a corresponding increase in pay.

However, union organizers and campaign workers allege that Remtech had most of its workers ­ including Ayala ­ classified at step two, with no checkmark to ensure the accuracy of that classification.

The campaign also questions UCLA's and OSHA's responsibility in contributing to these alleged payroll violations.

"(UCLA and OSHA's) inactivity regarding this situation is unacceptable," said Will Yamada, a campaign activist. "It is their responsibility to make sure the rules are followed.

"That is why UCLA has to receive a certified payroll and why OSHA has to check worksites. They aren't doing their part," he added.

UCLA officials seem to feel differently.

It is not the university's responsibility to ensure that workers are classified properly, according to Jackie Raymond, an administrative analyst for Contracts Administration in Capital Programs.

"This is a division of labor problem," Raymond said. "We cannot determine what step (asbestos workers) are on. However, we do look at their wages to see they are within prevailing wage. If there's a discrepancy, we notify the company immediately."

Apparently, university officials did not notice any discrepancies.

Although Remtech has been criticized by unions and the campaign for payroll violations, organizers admit that "Remtech is actually one of the better companies in the industry in terms of its disposal of toxic waste," said Axt, a leader in the Justice in Asbestos campaign. No health violations have been recorded against the company in the last three years, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

"However," continued Axt, "they are one of the worst (companies) in terms of paying their workers properly."

Bill Vitta, the owner of Remtech, seems to feel differently about the circumstances.

"I try to be as fair as I can be to our workers," he said. "There are 3 to 4,000 workers in this high-turnover industry. To keep track of all the people that flow in and out of this company alone, not to mention others, would require a staff in itself."

His staff makes rough guesses at workers' classifications, Vitta said.

Although Remtech is a target of the Justice in Asbestos campaign, it is not the only one. Recently, campaign workers and union organizers held protested against CST Environmental, one of the biggest abatement companies in the industry.

According to protesters, the company has been assessed nearly $75,000 in fines within the last five years. Infractions included improper encapsulation (keeping asbestos from escaping into public spaces) and hazardous methods of removal.

"With every contractor you probably speak with, they'll complain and complain and complain that they cannot compete with CST Environmental without cutting a few corners," Axt said.

"If (a contractor) wants to be really sneaky about it, a lot of corners could be cut. Since there is no one out there enforcing these regulations, it's happening more and more. The Justice in Asbestos campaign is about leveling this playing field and cleaning up the industry," he continued.