Union members and asbestos exposure

The union members who have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace

There are no words to describe the extent of asbestos exposure taking place in industrial settings during the last century. As a consequence, over 10 million employees were exposed to the mineral on the job between 1940 and 1978, among whom plenty of union workers. Asbestos exposure, particularly when it occurs over the course of several years and involves a high level of airborne fibers, can lead to the development of serious, fatal diseases. The hallmarks of diseases caused by asbestos exposure are that they mostly affect the respiratory system, especially the lungs, and that they take between 20 and 50 years to come to light.

Since the beginning of the last century, dozens of unions have begun forming, many of which still exist today. While they are best known for their bargaining to improve wages, benefits, and working conditions, unions have been equally instrumental in protecting employees from hazardous conditions and toxic materials such as asbestos. Unions were warning workers and companies about the dangers of asbestos exposure nearly 70 years ago, but their voices were not loud enough. This is because companies had always been putting profit over workers' safety, which led to employees being continually exposed to asbestos.

Although every union in the country is important and plays a crucial role in protecting workers, the following have been the most vocal with regard to the dangers of asbestos exposure during the last century:

• the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
• the United Auto Workers
• the Utility Workers Union of America
• the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers
• the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen
• the International Longshoremen's Association
• the United Mine Workers of America
• the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
• the International Union of Elevator Constructors
• the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots
• the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters
• the Sheet Metal Workers International Association
• the National Association of Retired and Veteran Railway Employees
• the Laborers' International Union of North America
• the International Brotherhood of Electricians
• the International Association of Firefighters
• the United Steelworkers
• the Transportation Workers Union of America

For instance, the United Steelworkers Union has lobbied Congress for decades in the hope of amending the current Toxic Substances Control Act to better protect workers. The union presented its latest case in 2013 to a House of Representatives Subcommittee, citing the ineffectiveness of the Environmental Protection Agency and the laws that have prevented the complete ban of asbestos in the workplace. The agency had banned asbestos in 1989, but the decision was overturned in federal court in 1991. "As a result, asbestos is still in commercial use in the United States. The EPA has not tried to ban a substance since the ruling on asbestos 22 years ago," says the official report submitted to Congress in 2013.

Diseases union members can develop as a consequence of occupational asbestos exposure

If you are a union member who worked with asbestos, we strongly encourage you to file a claim with the responsible company. Not only will recovering compensation help you with your medical expenses and treatment, but it will also keep the manufacturers liable for knowingly exposing workers to the carcinogenic mineral. The following diseases immediately qualify you for filing a claim, and you will not have to come to Birmingham, Alabama, to file your claim. We will carry out the entire legal process through the phone and via e-mail.

• lung cancer
• throat cancer
• esophageal cancer
• bronchial cancer
• gastrointestinal cancer
• colorectal cancer
• mesothelioma

On the other hand, if you struggle with one of the diseases below, you will have to pay a visit to the medical professionals we collaborate with in Birmingham, Alabama, as there are numerous other causes for these ailments, and we need to make sure asbestos is the culprit behind your diagnosis. Furthermore, you might have been misdiagnosed, as the symptoms of these diseases overlap with those of others that are similar. You can indeed have the disease your first diagnosis states you have, or you can have one that is even worse, in which case you need to have your treatment changed.

• asbestosis
• pulmonary fibrosis
• pleural plaques
• diffuse pleural thickening
• pleural effusion
• COPD
• emphysema
• chronic bronchitis
• pleurisy
• lung nodules
• asthma
• lung spots
• tuberculosis
• pneumonitis
• rounded atelectasis
• lung scarring
• bladder cancer

Regardless of the disease, you were diagnosed with, if it is on one of these two lists, we strongly advise you to contact our attorneys and legal team, as we have been providing assistance to industrial workers whose health was affected by asbestos exposure since 1990. We have a vast, impressive database of asbestos companies, asbestos products, and everything in between. After a 20-minute phone conversation with you, we will be able to determine whether you are eligible to file a claim or not.