AFSCME Members at Library of Congress Concerned Over Asbestos Incidents

January 16, 2007

January 16, 2007

AFSCME Council 26 and Local 2910 Pres. Saul Schniderman

Members of the Library of Congress Professional Guild, AFSCME Local 2910 (Council 26) are monitoring the outcome of recent incidents involving potential asbestos exposure. According to two citations issued by the Office of Compliance (OOC), the LOC failed to properly monitor asbestos levels in its Jefferson Building. Nonetheless, the LOC General Counsel answered one of the citations in early January claiming it is “responding to all the matters raised” by the OOC and denying that its employees were exposed to “unsafe working conditions.”

“When asbestos is discovered in a federal building, especially the LOC, I don’t think the proper response of the General Counsel should be to put their head in the sand,” says Saul Schniderman, president of the Capital Area Council of Federal Employees (AFSCME Council 26) and Local 2910.

Inspectors were called in August to check the facility for potentially hazardous conditions derived from rainfall. Their scrutiny resulted in four different citations, issued on Dec. 13.

“I expect they will eventually comply but they will have to do more as far as monitoring is concerned,” explains Nan Ernst, the local’s representative on the library’s health and safety committee.

The library has until Feb. 9 to respond to the last citation. In the meantime, Ernst states that the local “will keep a very close eye on the situation.”