featuReS
June 2009
Dear Earth-
Talk: I run a sort-
ing machine at
the post office,
and am worried
about all the pa-
per dust swirling around the building.
I asked both management and our
union if this was a health or safety
problem and both said no, but I’m not
sure they really know. Can you set the
record straight?
-- J.G. Eddins, Phoenix, AZ
One of the drawbacks to the increas-
ing mechanization of postal facilities
is the increase in paper dust. The ma-
chines doing the grunt work loosen the
dust and send it airborne where work-
ers can breathe it in copiously.
Contrary to what management and
the union may say, paper dust can be
a hazard to postal workers, causing
and exacerbating respiratory problems.
Sorting machines could also theoreti-
cally disperse contaminants (such as
anthrax) intentionally sent through the
mail into postal facilities, further adding
to the risk of the job.
“There’s no federal safety standard
on it, so it’s a real problem,” reports Bob
Williamson, president of the San Fran-
cisco chapter of the American Postal
Workers Union (APWU). “We’ve had
people who have developed occupa-
tional asthma from breathing the fine
dust.” Other reported problems include
bronchitis, allergic reactions, migraines,
bacterial infections, conjunctivitis and
sore throats.
In the fall of 2008, more than 450
current and former postal employees,
many in the Chicago area, signed a peti-
tion to occupational health officials and
postal unions blaming health problems
on paper dust fibers inside post offices.
Some are seeking health benefits to pay
for related medical treatment.
“I do believe that my life is going
to be shortened,” Delphine Howard,
a former manager at two local post
offices, told Chicago’s ABC7 News. “I
started having severe bronchitis attacks,
severe asthma attacks, and severe chest
pains.”
Howard worked for the postal service
from 1987 until 2005 when her doctor
diagnosed her with “a medical condi-
tion that is affected by unclean air, dust
particles and residue in volumes in her
present employment areas.” Several
other Chicago area postal workers com-
plained of similar symptoms as a result
of ongoing exposure to postal dust.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) stud-
ied the issue in 1998 and found no direct
link between health and postal dust,
but did discover that sorting machines
could send potentially carcinogenic
volatile organic compounds (such as
ink) and other irritants like dust mites,
into the air. The USPS told ABC7 News
it had “only received two direct com-
plaints of respiratory problems in the
last several years.”
The Southwest Portland Post • 7
Diligent cleaning of the machines
can help keep the problem in check.
“Vacuum and wipe down the machines
every day rather than resorting to the
quicker method of blowing the dust off
the machines and into the air,” says the
APWU’s Williamson, adding that work-
ers can also wear masks to minimize
breathing in of postal dust and any
contaminants in the air with it.
Williamson also recommends that
post offices rotate their workers around
to different duties to avoid perpetual
exposure to potentially harmful or ag-
gravating activities. Besides dealing
with paper dust, mail sorters frequently
suffer from muscular-skeletal prob-
lems associated with repetitive motion
strain.
CONTACTS: American Postal Work-
ers Union (APWU), apwu.org. U.S.
Postal Service, usps.com.
SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL
QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk, P.O. Box
5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@
emagazine.com. Read past columns
at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/
archives.php.
Former Southwest neighborhood coalition
director Joy Stricker remembered
By Lee Perlman
The Southwest Portland Post
Surrounded by loved ones, Joy Strick-
er, the first executive director of South-
west Neighborhoods, Inc. (SWNI), died
on May 16, 2009 at age 86.
A native Portlander, she graduated
from Washington High School. During
World War II Stricker worked on an
assembly line at Marine Electric, where
she met and married Andy Stricker. She
later went back to school, and gradu-
ated from Portland State at age 43. She
taught English at Sandy Union High
School for 10 years before leaving to
take the job at SWNI.
As the first director, Stricker had
to deal with a group of community
groups that did not always see eye to
eye, or universally accept her agency.
Her low-key manner and dedication to
service helped gain acceptance for the
coalition. She also had a keen sense of
humor, most often revealed in poetry
or writing.
Sylvia Bogert, SWNI’s current direc-
tor, served under Stricker as Office
Manager. “Joy was a mentor,” she told
The Post. “She was extremely fun to
work with, and brought lots of energy
to the office. She was also a brilliant
problem solver. She was a good listener.
She was extremely fair and honest with
people, and they appreciated that.”
Stricker was also a talented artist,
(Continued on Page 2)
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