The Nation : Union Sues to Force Chemical Warnings

The United Steelworkers union sued top Reagan Administration officials on charges they are illegally blocking court-ordered warnings to 18 million workers about toxic chemicals on the job. The suit asks the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, which last year ordered the warnings, to hold White House Budget Director James C. Miller III and Assistant Labor Secretary John Pendergrass in contempt of court. Facing a contempt citation at the time, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration headed by Pendergrass last August issued regulations requiring employers in several industries to make sure warning labels are on some 600,000 hazardous chemical products. However, in response to employer complaints, the Office of Management and Budget that Miller heads has blocked implementation of the new requirements, claiming some run contrary to the 1980 Paperwork Reduction Act.