November 28, 2012

Contact: Carol McKay, NCL Communications, carolm@nclnet.org , (412) 945-3242

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL) today expresses sincere condolences to the families of the more than 100 workers killed in a factory fire in Bangladesh. “We see a consistent pattern of indefensible and preventable loss of life in Bangladesh factories. In the past six years, over 600 workers have been killed in these deadly fires,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League. 

NCL noted that the Banglideshi factory fires that keep killing workers are reminicient of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in the United States in 1911. That fire in New York City killed 146 mostly immigrant workers and galvanized workers and government to make workplaces far safer, put in place fire codes, sprinklers, strict fire codes related to smoking and open flames inside the factory, and keeping the factory free of flammable piles of fabric. 

“United States companies that buy from firms that run these factories must insist on strict fire codes, training of workers and owners, or stop doing business with them immediately. American and Western companies can do a great deal to improve the conditions of these workers and keep them safe from hazardous working conditions. NCL intends to inform American consumers which companies are doing their part to improve safety standards and acting to protect the vulnerable workers in these factories,” said Greenberg. 

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About the National Consumers League 

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

November 14, 2012

Contact: Carol McKay, (412) 945-3242, carolm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–The National Consumers League (NCL) today commends the House Energy and Commerce Committee for holding a hearing on the outbreak of fungal meningitis caused by contaminated injectable steroids made and distributed by the New England Compounding Center (NECC).  NECC has a long history of dodging effective regulation and engaging in shoddy drug compounding practices. Those practices ultimately led to the deaths this year of 32 patients and 438 sickened by the injectable pain medications.

NCL supports legislation, HR 6854, the Verifying Authority and Legality in Drug (VALID) Compounding Act. The bill will close loopholes that allowed the contaminated drug to get into the marketplace and be administered to 14,000 innocent patients. The bill’s sponsor, Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA), is a longstanding and distinguished member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

November 13, 2012

Contact: Sally Greenberg, Executive Director, National Consumers League 202-835-3323×830
Rosemary Shahan, President, CARS 530-759-9440

Washington, DC–As tens of thousands of flood-damaged cars change hands, two national consumer organizations, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS) and National Consumers League (NCL), warned car buyers today to beware of new and used cars that suffered flood damage from Hurricane Sandy.

“Flood cars are ticking automotive timebombs,” said Rosemary Shahan, President of CARS. ”Flood cars are inherently unsafe, particularly since all the electronic systems that control the engine, brakes, air bags, and other vital safety systems are hopelessly contaminated and will inevitably fail.”

Even consumers buying cars far away from where Sandy hit should be on the lookout for flood cars. “Flood damaged vehicles can be shipped across the country in a matter of days,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of NCL. “Consumers throughout the US need to take specific steps to protect themselves from inadvertently buying these hazardous vehicles.”

CARS and NCL offered these tips for used car buyers — BEFORE you agree to buy:

• Check the vehicle history, entering the unique Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) (found on the driver’s side under the windshield) at the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), established by the US Department of Justice, at www.vehiclehistory.gov. This is the ONLY database where ALL auto insurers, salvage pools that auction off totaled cars, junkyards, recyclers, and self-insured entities such as rental car companies in ALL 50 states are required by law to report total loss vehicles within 30 days. Many are reporting daily. Vehicle histories can be obtained for between $3 and $13.

• ALWAYS get the vehicle you are considering inspected by your own independent, reliable, trustworthy auto technician prior to purchase — including when buying from a car dealer, an individual, or over the internet. A good place to find a good auto technician is Car Talk’s Mechanics files, at: https://www.cartalk.com/mechanics-search

• ALWAYS insist on seeing the title to the car before you buy, and check to see if it has been branded as “flood,” “junk,” “salvage” “rebuilt” ” reconstructed” or another brand indicating it was severely damaged. But beware: a “clean” title does not prove the car is OK — the title may have been “laundered” across state lines or altered to conceal the brand. One dealer reportedly used a hole punch to remove the “flood” brand on the title.

• If you buy over the internet — NEVER send money to someone over the Internet in exchange for a motor vehicle. Some sellers masquerade as the owners, when in fact they don’t even have proper title to the car. The car may even be stolen — so you could lose both your money and the car, and may be subject to arrest for receiving stolen property. Instead, insist on meeting the seller at your state’s motor vehicle department to do the title transfer, or if you belong to AAA, you may be able to do the title transfer there.

In addition, be on the lookout for both new and used cars with tell-tale signs of having been submerged. Watch out for:

• Musty or “over-perfumed” smell or signs of mold or mildew

• Silt or residue in places like under carpeting, in the well where the spare is stored, or in the dashboard dials

• Title or registration histories indicating the car was in the flood area

• Car hesitates, runs rough, or shows signs of premature rust or corrosion in places where you wouldn’t expect to see rust

• New cars or “certified” used cars where the manufacturer refuses to honor the warranty — check with the manufacturer if you’re suspicious, and insist on getting a commitment in writing from the manufacturer itself that it will honor the warranty

“Shady car dealers and other unscrupulous people are salivating over the new bumper crop of flood cars. Don’t fall prey to their scams.” said Shahan.

Links:

NMVTIS https://www.vehiclehistory.gov/

CARS website https://www.carconsumers.org

National Consumers League website: https://nclnet.org/personal-finance/64-fraud/488-carshopping-

avoid-scams

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About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.

October 30, 2012

Contact: Reid Maki, (703) 801-3338, reidm@nclnet.org

Washington, DC–Yesterday’s New York Times story “Silos Loom As Death Traps on Farms” stands as a stark reminder that U.S. and state governments must do more to protect workers, toiling in dangerous workplaces. “The Times piece by reporter James Broder highlights several teen worker deaths and violent injuries suffered by teens in agricultural grain facilities,” said Sally Greenberg, Executive Director of the National Consumers League (NCL) and a co-chair of the Child Labor Coalition, 28 organizations committed to protecting children from exploitative or dangerous work. “Unfortunately, last April, the Obama Administration, under intense pressure from the farm lobby, withdrew regulations that would have protected teens from the dangers associated with work in agriculture, including these very dangerous facilities. Under the proposed rules, teens would not have been allowed to work in them.” 

Each year, the National Consumers League (NCL) publishes an extensive report, The Five Most Dangerous Jobs for Teens. “Agriculture is by far the most dangerous industry that large numbers of teens are allowed to work in,” said Reid Maki, NCL’s Director of Social Responsibility and Fair Labor Standards. “Nearly 100 kids are killed performing hazardous farm work each year. The reality is that agricultural work for teens is extremely dangerous and no job is more dangerous than working in a grain facility.” 

In 2010, 51 adult and teen workers became engulfed in grain during accidents at grain facilities. Twenty-six workers died, including Wyatt Whitebread, 14, and Alex Pacas, 19, whose deaths were described in the Times article. In August 2011, Oklahoma teens Tyler Zander and Bryce Gannon, both 17, each lost a leg in a grain auger accident. This accident would have been prevented by the withdrawn safety rules. Since 2007, 14 teen boys have died in grain facility accidents. 

In addition to the gruesome suffocation deaths noted in the Times article, workers at grain facilities are at great risk because of toxic and flammable gases produced by the grains. There have been more than 600 explosions at grain elevators, killing more than 250 people and injuring more than 1,000, over the past four decades, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. 

NCL asks that immediate steps be taken to protect works in facilities:

• Teen work inside or on top of grain compartments and silos should be prohibited; 

• For adult workers, all identified mandatory protective measures, including the use of safety harnesses should be followed by facility owners; 

• No worker should enter when grain congeals and is “bridged” or “crusted” on the sides of the silo; 

• Air monitoring equipment should be in place to ensure air is breathable and hold no flammability danger; 

• All power equipment, including augurs and loaders, must be shut off before workers enter a silo; 

• An observer must monitor workers in silos at all times; 

• State and federal departments of labor should increase fines when violations occur. Current fine levels are insufficient to act as a deterrent. 

• Safety procedures should be implemented by the owners of small facilities, not covered by federal protections. 

More than 150 groups supported the DOL’s proposed agricultural occupational child safety rules, which would have prohibited teen work in grain facilities. A list of those organizations can be found at  www.stopchildlabor.org. 

About the National Consumers League: NCL, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.