Vol. 78/No. 17 May 5, 2014
‘Safe refineries save lives’
“Safe refineries save lives. Mourn for the dead. Fight for the living!”This was the message of the United Steelworkers-sponsored vigil April 2 at the south gate of Tesoro’s Golden Eagle refinery here.
In the past year we’ve seen the chemical spill in West Virginia that left upwards a quarter of a million people without drinking water and an explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, that claimed lives.
Our vigil was “to commemorate the lives needlessly sacrificed and to acknowledge those who have suffered needlessly from painful injuries” at Tesoro refineries, as our flier said. A fire at the Golden Eagle refinery in 1999 left four dead and one seriously injured; on April 2, 2010, an explosion and fire ripped through Tesoro’s Anacortes, Wash., refinery leaving seven dead; and this February two workers were sprayed with sulfuric acid, suffering first- and second-degree burns.
Members from other refineries joined the vigil. We were several dozen in all. Passing motorists honked or waved to show their support.
Ben FieldsInspired by Cuban Five
In high school I read Karl Marx, and in college took sociology. Right now I’m locked up in jail. My ideals about this country’s dealings with its working class has made me at odds with many. I don’t concern myself with their rantings. I’ve heard through your paper about the Cuban Five. These and other stories inspire me to keep up the fight against capitalism. A prisoner