As other comments have noted, no OSHA, no EPA, no safety glasses, no steel-toed shoes, no ear plugs, no respirators. No smiles on the guys going inside, either - a few on the guys leaving.

In 1976 I was the second-shift union steward in a steel foundry. They had a paper mask pinned on the wall in the "Human Resources" room. I asked them if that was for lung protection. Answer was a smirking "yes"; Could I have one? "Yes". How much? "Free". How often could I get one? "One per day". By the time I left that plant in late 1977, about half of my shift was wearing them, and we could get two per day (change out after lunch). The one comment from all of the users - "hey, when I spit, it's not all black."

This foundry was the oldest operating steel foundry in the country at the time. The sign-up list from 1865 was also hanging on the HR office wall. Of course, it had been upgraded many times, but the actual labor practices were essentially unchanged. "Riddle, ram, and run." One night the main dust collection system for the shakeout stopped running. The foreman wanted me to keep the guys working, but I led them outside instead. He relented, but I still got a meeting at HR the next day, plus the day-shift steward told me that I really shouldn't stop work, unless the foreman concurred. I told them that I would most certainly stop work for all such situations. Even guys on day-shift came up to me and thanked me for the action. Good times!

As you say, it certainly makes one understand which side we're on - and why.

paul spencer