[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 114 (Thursday, August 5, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1758-E1759]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SAN FRANCISCO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ASKS BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT (BART) 
               TO AVOID STEEL PRODUCED BY STRIKE BREAKERS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, August 5, 1999

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in 
commending the Board of Supervisors of San Francisco for their adoption 
of a resolution, which was unanimously adopted on Monday, urging that 
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) refrain from purchasing steel rails 
produced by strikebreakers at Oregon Steel's Rocky Mountain Steel Mill 
in Pueblo, Colorado. This principled action reflects the Supervisors' 
deep concern for the safety of Bay Area public transport consumers, as 
well as their commitment to defending fair labor practices in San 
Francisco and across our nation.
  The Rocky Mountain Steel Mill in Pueblo, Colorado, illegally replaced 
1,100 striking steelworkers in 1997. This outrageous and illegal action 
is only the most recent in a long record of that company's reckless 
disregard for the welfare of its own employees. This rogue corporation 
has been charged by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with over 
100 violations of federal laws, and has been found guilty by the 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of 62 willful and 
serious health violations, resulting in the second largest OSHA fine in 
the history of the State of Colorado. Communities have both the right 
and the obligation to expect higher standards of conduct from the 
entities that do business with them.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the Supervisors' request that BART 
refuse to purchase rails for the San Francisco Airport expansion 
project from the Rocky Mountain Steel Mill.

[[Page E1759]]

This vital transportation project cuts through the heart of my 
congressional district, and I strongly believe that the safety of my 
constituents should not be put at risk by the shoddy work of 
inexperienced strikebreakers and the corporate recklessness of Rocky 
Mountain's executives.
  Since the decision to terminate its workforce eighteen months ago, 
Rocky Mountain Steel has reportedly encountered serious quality 
problems with its manufactured products. Under no circumstances should 
the well-being of BART's hundreds of thousands of regular commuters be 
jeopardized by this corporation's careless and irresponsible behavior.
  Mr. Speaker, I applaud the initiative taken by the San Francisco 
Board of Supervisors to urge BART to end its purchases of Rocky 
Mountain Steel. The company's striking steelworkers deserve better, and 
the safety of Bay Area commuters demands no less.

                          ____________________