The Labor Movement in the U.S. South: Occupational Health and Safety
Published Resources
The Hamlet Fire by ISBN: 9781620972397Publication Date: 2017-09-01For decades the small, quiet town of Hamlet, North Carolina thrived thanks to the railroad. But by the 1980s, it had become post-industrial backwater, a magnet for businesses looking for cheap labor with little or almost no official oversight. One of these businesses was Imperial Foods, which paid its workers a dollar or so above the minimum wage to stand in pools of freezing water for hours on end, scraping fat off frozen chicken breasts, and fined them if they went to the bathroom too many times during a shift. Then on the morning of September 3, 1991--the day after Labor Day--this factory that had never been inspected caught fire. Twenty-five workers--mostly single mothers, many of whom were black--perished behind locked doors.
Archival Resources
Brown Lung Association Records
The Brown Lung Association (BLA) Records consist chiefly records of the central office of the Brown Lung Association, as well as related organizations, including the Southern Institute for Occupational Health and the Brown Lung Legal Center. Records document the organizational, legal, and financial activities of these groups. Topics include special projects, fundraising, staffing, state legislation, workers' compensation, federal regulations, and research on brown lung disease. Also included are materials relating to byssinosis cases heard before the North Carolina Industrial Commission between 1977 and 1981.
North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Project Records
The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Project (NCOSH) is a private, nonprofit membership organization of workers, union locals, and health and legal professionals. Chiefly working through local unions, NCOSH volunteers and staff offer training and education relating to toxic chemicals, safety hazards, stress, video display terminals (VDTs), repetitive motion, reproductive hazards, workers' compensation, and other issues. NCOSH also assists unions in strengthening health and safety contract language and effectively using the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Administration (NC OSHA). NCOSH offers technical assistance and research services relating to specific complaints, maintains reference materials, and makes medical and legal referrals as appropriate. Fighting for stronger OSHA standards, building coalitions, and gaining public support for union safety and health struggles are parts of NCOSH's political mission. NCOSH office files, include membership lists, financial records, investigative files, and materials relating to labor history. Also included are videotapes and slide presentations, many of them about asbestos in the workplace.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Photograph
"Black Lung Bill Battles Social Security: What To Do When Denied Your Black Lung Benefits," Black Lung Association booklet from the Myra Page Papers, Southern Historical Collection, UNC Chapel Hill Library.
