I WANTED TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE AT AND WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR SINCE THE NOTIFICATION OF LOW LEVEL AMOUNTS OF LEGIONELLA WAS FOUND IN THE COOLING TOWERS. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO RESET FROM THE BEGINNING. A MEMBER OF ONE OF THE LOCALS PRESENT AT THE CENTER REPORTED TO THEIR LOCAL THAT THEY HAVE CONTRACTED LEGIONAIRRES. BOTH LOCALS AT THAT POINT CONTACTED THE COMPANY AND EH&S TO NOTIFY THEM. THEY CAME OUT DID SOME INITIAL TESTING OF THE COOLING TOWERS AND IT CAME BACK NEGATIVE. THE COMPANY RETRIEVED SAMPLES AND SENT THEM OFF TO A THIRD PARTY LAB FOR MORE EXTENSIVE TESTING WHICH TAKES TIME. BOTH LOCALS WERE CONTACTED LATE LAST WEEK FOR A MEETING TO DISCUSS THE RESULTS. WE WERE INFORMED THAT LOW LEVELS WERE DETECTED AND THAT THE COMPANY HAS TAKEN THE NECESSARY STEPS (THIS WAS ON THE NOTIFICATION FLIER) TO TREAT THE SITUATION. FURTHER DISCUSSION ENSUED AND WE ASKED IF THE COMPANY INTENDED TO NOTIFY THE EMPLOYEES AND WE WERE TOLD IT WAS NOT NECESSARY IF THERE IS NO CONFIRMED OUTBREAK. WE NOTIFIED THE COMPANY WE FELT IT WAS OUR OBLIGATION AND FELT STRONGLY IT WAS OUR DUTY TO NOTIFY THE MEMBERS AND WERE GOING TO DO SO.
SINCE THE NOTIFICATION WENT OUT LAST WEEK, A LOT OF RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE AND MULTIPLE STATE AGENCIES HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY THE LOCALS. CONVERSATIONS HAVE TAKEN PLACE WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENTS OF BOTH OAKLAND AND WAYNE COUNTY AS WELL AS MIOSHA. DISCUSSIONS COVERED ON RESPONSIBILITIES, REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING THE COMPANY AND ALL STEPS AND PROCEDURES INVOLVED. WHAT WE FOUND OUT IS THAT THE TREATING PHYSICIAN/AND OR TREATING FACILITIES ARE THE RESPONSIBLE PARTY FOR REPORTING TO THE PROPER HEATH DEPARTMENT CONCERNING ANY CASE OF LEGIONNAIRES. THIS TRIGGERS AN INVESTIGATION AND THEN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATES TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE ILLNESS. WE SHARED THE INFORMATION WITH BOTH COUNTIES OF THE POSITIVE TEST RESULTS OF LEGIONELLA AT THE FACILITY IN HOPES TO EXPEDITE ANY INVESTIGATION OF ANY PATIENT THAT CONTRACTED LEGIONNAIRES THAT WORKED AT THE FACILITY. I ALSO EMAILED THE REPORT TO THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER TO INTERPRET THE RESULTS FOR US SINCE NOBODY AT THE LOCAL EVER CLAIMED TO BE A BIOLOGIST, CHEMIST OR COMMUNICABLE DISEASE EXPERT. WE WERE TOLD AT THAT POINT THEY HAVE ALL INFORMATION NEEDED AND THEY TAKE IT FROM HERE. WE WERE INFORMED FROM MIOSHA THAT ONLY CONFIRMED ILLNESSES CAUSED BY THE FACILITY ARE REQUIRED BY COMPANIES TO REPORT TO THEM. HOWEVER, THE 300 LOGS WHICH SHOULD BE POSTED AT EACH LOCATION NEED TO BE UPDATED TO REFLECT THE ILLNESS AND IF THRU TESTING THE FACILITY IS DETERMINED NOT TO BE THE SOURCE IT CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE LOG.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE AT THIS TIME WE DO NOT HAVE ANY CONFIRMED CASES OF LEGIONNAIRES THAT WAS CAUSED BY THE FACILITY, ONLY THE INVESTIGATION BY THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL DETERMINE THAT. SAMPLES FROM A PATIENT AND A POSSIBLE SOURCE HAVE TO COMPARED AND TESTED TO DETERMINE IF INDEED THAT IS THE SOURCE. ANY FURTHER INFORMATION SHARED CONCERNING THIS WE WILL BE SURE TO PASS ON TO EACH OF YOU.
AT THIS POINT I WANT TO ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS ON HOW THE INFORMATION WAS DISTRIBUTED LAST WEEK WITH THE INITIAL NOTIFICATION TO EACH OF YOU. THERE WAS A LOT OF INITIAL DISCUSSION ON NOTIFYING EVERYONE QUICKLY OF WHAT WE KNEW AT THAT POINT OR WAIT UNTIL WE MADE NECESSARY CALLS TO ALL AGENCIES AND CONDUCT FURTHER RESEARCH WHICH COULD HAVE DELAYED NOTIFICATION BY AS MUCH AS ANOTHER WEEK. WE FELT IT WAS BETTER TO NOTIFY EARLY AND PROVIDE UPDATES AS WE GO THRU THIS PROCESS BECAUSE OF OUR CONCERN FOR EACH OF YOU AND WE ARE AWARE OF SOME OF THE VARYING DEGREES OF HEALTH ISSUES OUR MEMBERS STRUGGLE WITH AND THE NEED TO CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIANS. WE UNDERSTOOD THIS MIGHT GENERATE A DEGREE OF PANIC WITH SOME BUT WE FELT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE WITH PHONE CALLS FROM THE MEMBERS WHO HAD QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS AND WITH THE FACT SHEET FROM THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WHICH WAS POSTED. WE DID NOT HAVE TIME CLEARED TO ADDRESS THE GROUPS AS A WHOLE, WITH THE CLEAN DESK POLICY AND THE ABILITY OF MANAGEMENT IF INSTRUCTED BY ANYONE HIGHER OF THEM TO REMOVE INFO FROM YOUR DESKS WE FELT IT BETTER TO POST ON THE UNION BOARDS. WE UNDERSTAND IT HAD LIMITED INFO BUT IT WAS NECESSARY THAT WE INFORMED YOU OF FACTS AND NOT SPECULATE AND WE ALSO HAVE TO HONOR ANY HIPPA ISSUES THAT MIGHT ARISE FROM THIS. MANY OF YOU HAVE MADE SUGGESTIONS AND WE WILL DEFINITELY IMPLEMENT THOSE BUT I HOPE WE DON’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE. THINGS MOVE FAST AND DECISIONS HAVE TO BE MADE QUICKLY SOME TIME BUT JUST PLEASE KNOW YOUR LOCALS HAVE YOUR BEST INTEREST AT HEART AND WE TRULY VALUE YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH ANY INFORMATION AS IT COMES IN. PLEASE CONTACT US WITH ANY FURTHER CONCERNS
IN SOLIDARITY,
OFFICERS OF LOCALS 4009 & 4050
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