Dr. Herbert K. Abrams of the International Chemical Workers Union and Dr. Kenneth W. Smith on Conditions at J-M Plants (1954)

Letters from September 1954 to December 1955 between Dr. Herbert K. Abrams, medical consultant to the International Chemical Workers Union, and Dr. Kenneth W. Smith, Johns-Manville's medical director. Abrams passed on complaints from union locals: at Waukegan, Illinois, insufficient dust control, poor plant medical service, three men seriously ill with chest disease, and workers "not informed about the results of chest X-ray"; at Lompoc, California, a plant physician who would not release workers' chest films to their own doctors; and at Toronto, X-rays showing a lung condition serious enough to consider transfers, and workers "not being given sufficient information about the gravity of the hazard." Smith sent copies of the letters to his plant managers.

What it shows

Abrams's tone was cooperative: in October 1954 he said the complaints were reported as given and not yet checked, and that the Lompoc union delegate had praised the plant's progress in "health safeguards." Nineteen days after his first letter, Smith told the Waukegan plant to start telling employees their examination results "immediately" (Smith to Mulder). Asbestosis among Waukegan workers had been reported to J-M three years earlier (Vorwald to Woodard, 1951).

In Johns-Manville's chronology

Johns-Manville's own chronology of what the company knew describes this document as follows:

This is a compilation of correspondence from, 9/10/54 to 12/13/55, between Dr. H. Abrams, Medical Consultant to the International Chemical Workers Union and Dr. Smith regarding plantworker health concerns. Topics covered include hazards in connection with the machining of transite pipe, the concern of workers from the Waukegan plant about increased occupational illness, poor dust control, poor plant medical service, and failure to inform employees of x-ray results, and a concern that a Dr. Duncan at the Lompoc plant is refusing to release plant workers chest x-ray film results to their personal physicians, and health concerns at the Toronto plant. In a letter dated 10/8/54, to Dr. Smith from Dr. Abrams, Dr. Smith appears to have offered to meet with Dr. Abrams. Dr. Abrams response, dated 10/8/54, is extremely conciliatory and proposes that he and Dr. Smith work together to improve labor management relationships regarding occupational health issues. Dr. Abrams mentions the union convention delegate from the Lompoc plant reported most favorably on the progress made in "health safeguards" at that plant. A letter dated 12/13/55, from Dr. Smith to B. Gilbertson (Watson), B. Mulder (Waukegan) and R.D. Newcomb (Lompoc) refers to attached letter on dust problems at Toronto plant (no copy attached). From the context of the letter, it appears that Dr. Abrams has written regarding perceived dust problems at the Toronto plant. Dr. Smith states: "Actually there are no cases of pulmonary dust disease at Toronto" and that some employees receive job transfers there because of non-occupational pulmonary disease. Dr. Smith seems chagrined by this letter of Dr. Abrams and states, "apparently, Dr. Abrams seizes any opportunity to increase his sphere of influence."

Editor's note: J-M's description quotes a letter of December 13, 1955, from Smith to his plant managers about Toronto ("Actually there are no cases of pulmonary dust disease at Toronto"). That letter is not in this file. The Smith memo here is dated December 7, 1955, and says only that he was enclosing Abrams's letters.