Occupation
Exposure to asbestos is the direct cause of multiple diseases, including the deadly and incurable disease of mesothelioma. Tens of thousands of individuals, especially working men and women, have died from the deadly cancer in the last few decades and 2,000 to 3,000 new cases are diagnosed every year.
Mesothelioma typically affects the lining of the lungs, is highly aggressive and is resistant to many standard cancer treatments, limiting the treatment options. Most patients do not receive a diagnosis of mesothelioma until after symptoms appear, which can be 30 years or more after exposure. The latency period can be as long as 50 years. The prognosis is usually grim with no known cures, and with the average survival time varying from 4 – 18 months after diagnosis.
A variety of construction workers, including insulators, plumbers, pipefitters, electricians and sheet metal workers have for decades faced asbestos exposure on the job during maintenance, construction, remodeling or demolition of old buildings. Workers in related occupations also faced exposure to asbestos fibers. Those workers included electricians, plasterers, masonry workers, carpenters and roofers.
Mechanics, engineers, plant workers, railroad workers, powerhouse workers, brake mechanics, crane operators and auto mechanics also worked around products or materials that placed them at risk of inhaling asbestos and developing an asbestos-related disease.
Workers in private industries were historically not the only ones at risk for asbestos exposure. Sailors, submariners, and other Navy personnel, as well as shipbuilders, were constantly in danger of inhaling asbestos on the job. Workers who repaired or refurbished old ships faced an even greater risk.
If you have recently received a diagnosis of mesothelioma, are undergoing treatment or are suffering from symptoms of an asbestos-related disease due to asbestos exposure on-the-job, you may be eligible to file claims or lawsuits for compensation from the companies responsible for your cancer.
Contact a Belluck & Fox Asbestos Lawyer Today
The lawyers at Belluck & Fox pride themselves on their commitment and support to you when investigating your claims. While we can’t find cures or improve your prognosis, we can help you get the compensation you deserve through your litigation. From the initial meeting, your lawyer will explain your legal options and start the research and investigation into the companies named in your claims and lawsuits. We will stay with you throughout every phase of your litigation.
List Of Unions
Labor unions have long looked out for the safety of workers in occupations at high risk for asbestos exposure. Following is a partial list of unions that represent workers in some of the occupations listed above.
International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers
9602 M. L. King Jr. Hwy.
Lanham , MD 20706
301- 731-9101
www.insulators.org/pages/index.asp
Description: The goal of the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers is to assist its membership in securing employment, to defend their rights and advance their interests, and by education and co-operation, raise them to that position in society to which they are justly entitled.
United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada
Three Park Place
Annapolis , MD 21401
410-269-2000
Description: The United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada, or “UA” as it is commonly known, is a multi-craft union whose members are engaged in the fabrication, installation and servicing of piping systems. The UA boasts the premier training programs available in the industry today, including five-year apprenticeship programs, extensive journeyman training, organized instructor training and certification programs.
Transport Workers Union
1700 Broadway
New York , N.Y. 10019
Phone: 212-259-4900
Description: The Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and the worldwide International Transport Workers Federation (ITF). The group is a trade union representing workers in mass transportation, airline, railroad, utility, university, municipalities, service and allied industries.
International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers
9000 Machinists Place
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772-2687
301-967-4500
Description: The mission of the IAM is to negotiate contracts that guarantee secure, well-paying jobs that members can perform in safe workplaces. IAM represents workers in the following areas: auto and truck mechanics, heavy equipment, excavating and paving, road building, forklifts, high-rise equipment, tank washers, fuelers, trailer body, marine, container and barge line industries.
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
101 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington , DC 20001
202-546-6206
www.carpenters.org/Home.aspx
Description: The United Brotherhood of Carpenters is North America’s largest building-trades union, with more than a half-million members in the construction and wood-products industries. Its mission is to recruit new members and train existing members and build on the union’s nearly 130-year history.
National Union of Seafarers
5201 Auth Way
Camp Springs , MD 20746
(301) 899-0675
Description: The Seafarers International Union, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District/NMU, AFL-CIO, represents unlicensed United States merchant mariners sailing aboard U.S.-flag vessels in the deep sea, Great Lakes and inland trades. The union also represents licensed U.S. mariners in the Great Lakes and inland sectors. SIU members sail in the three shipboard departments: deck, engine and steward. They work aboard a wide variety of vessels, including commercial containerships and tankers, military support ships, tugboats and barges, passenger ships and gaming vessels.
International Council of Employers of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers
P.O. Box 21462
Washington , DC 21462
202-457-9040
Description: ICE is the only wholly union international masonry contractors’ association, representing approximately 10,000 signatory contractors who perform, brick, block, stone, tile, marble, terrazzo, cement masonry, plastering and restoration work. Its members employ the highest skilled and best-trained workers in the masonry industry. ICE works with the Bricklayers International Union to provide those workers with training, safe jobsites, pensions and healthcare.
International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers
620 F Street NW
Washington , DC 20004
202-783-3788
Description: Since its founding in 1865, the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers has sought to improve members’ quality of life through access to fair wages, good benefits, safe working conditions and solidarity among members. The group represents skilled trowel trades craft workers across the United States and Canada including bricklayers, stone and marble masons, cement masons, plasterers, tile setters, terrazzo and mosaic workers, and pointers / cleaners / caulkers. BAC is the oldest continuous union in North America.
Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ International Association
11720 Beltsville Drive, Suite 700
Beltsville , MD 20705
301-623-1000
Description: For over 140 years the OPCMIA has represented and trained plasterers and cement masons for the purpose of protecting and promoting the quality of the industry and the livelihood of its members. The group is dedicated to the recruitment and training of skilled craftsmen to meet the demand of its industry.
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, AFL-CIO
1750 New York Avenue, NW
Washington , DC 20006
202-637-0700
Description: The IUPAT is a labor organization representing over 140,000 members in the construction industry, including painters, drywall finishers, wall coverers, glaziers, glass workers, floor covering installers, sign makers, display workers, and convention and show decorators.
Laborers’ International Union of North America
905 16th Street, NW
Washington , DC 20006
202-737-8320
Description: The Laborers’ International Union of North America is the fastest-growing union of construction workers, and one of the most diverse and effective groups representing public service employees. LIUNA has about 500,000 members.
Sheet Metal Workers International Association
1750 New York Avenue, NW – 6th floor
Washington , DC 20006
www.smwia.org
Description: The Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association (SMWIA) serves to protect and raise the living standards of over 150,000 skilled men and women employed throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The group works in the construction, manufacturing, service, railroad and shipyard industries. The SMWIA is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) and the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC).
