Major National Public Health And Safety Issues Raised In 3/15 Federal Trial Of Pfizer Inc.

Major National Public Health And Safety Issues Raised In 3/15 Federal Trial Of Pfizer Inc. In Suit By Injured Pfizer Molecular Biologist Becky McClain

In Suit By Injured Pfizer Molecular Biologist Becky McClain
Historic Trial To Open On March 15, 2010 In Hartford, CT
Injured Pfizer Molecular Biologist Challenging Pfizer On Health And Safety & Cover-up Of Contamination In Stem Cell Research

In the first Federal trial in the United States, injured Pfizer biotech worker Becky McClain will get her day in court to challenge the dangerous and unhealthy conditions which she alleged that Pfizer Inc. subjected her to while working at the Pfizer Groton Connecticut facility as a molecular biologist. McClain is suing for free speech and retaliation by Pfizer. Her case is in Hartford CT Federal Courthouse at 450 Main St. 9:30 AM with US Federal Judge Vanessa Bryant.

McClain was the health and safety officer at the Groton, Connecticut Pfizer plant and raised serious public health and safety concerns over her working conditions while working on stem cells at the facility. Pfizer, the largest drug company in the world with revenue of $48 billion a year refused to address her safety concerns despite repeated requests from McClain.

The company also retaliated against McClain for making complaints to OSHA about these serious public and worker health hazards and eventually fired her. Although this is illegal under US laws, Pfizer has apparently had carte blanc to ignore US protective laws for workers in the drug and biotech industry. OSHA in this case, even refused to do a safety inspection at the Pfizer Groton site despite the numerous documented safety complaints and illnesses within McClain’s department.

This lack of public health and safety and worker safety protection occur not only in the biotech industry but as people in Connecticut know the Middletown power plant where an explosion took place with the death of 5 workers. This is yet another example of the lack of effective and real health and safety protection on the job.

As a result of the collapse of OSHA over the last ten years, it is now virtually non-existent for workers in new industries such as biotech and nanotech. OSHA is also incapable of proper oversight in the biotech industry and the protection of workers and the public in this industry because of the lack of standards, secrecy agreements, confidentiality settlements with injured workers and other legal restrictions that protect the companies in this industry.

McClain alleged she was exposed to infectious genetically engineered viruses making her sick while the company ignored her safety complaints and refused to provide her with a safe work environment. Although ordered by the Federal Courts and requested by doctors to release all pertinent information regarding the infectious genetically engineered viruses involved in her exposure, Pfizer still to this day still refuses. Since these records are pertinent for both her healthcare and legal action McClain consequently has no avenue to obtain directed medical care including workers compensation or to obtain legal action against Pfizer’s willful and wanton misconduct.

This case shows the systemic problems of the lack of regulatory oversight in the biotech industry, the lack of worker safety rights, the lack of free speech, the lack of protection against retaliation, the lack of workers rights to exposure records for healthcare and the lack of laws to protect against employers egregious behavior regarding public health and safety. Although McClain’s claim involves the biotech drug industry, these lack of rights also carry over into other new industries such as nanotechnology.

McClain’s case also highlights a major flaw in our present day law where employer rights supercede worker and public health and safety rights.

McClain went to the workers comp system and was told that the Connecticut workers compensation system did not have jurisdiction to order Pfizer to release the records that were involved in her exposure on the job. These records provided identification in her exposure in her case making it impossible for her to show the causes of her injuries on the job. McClain was lucky enough to know that she had an exposure but other workers may not have similar opportunities to know where and when they were exposed. Workers in the industry are not provided information about where and when they may have received their exposures in the industry.

This case also shows a major flaw for workers in the biotech industry who have to prove where they got injured in order to receive workers compensation. The ability to prove where you have been injured when working in biotechnology industry due to the lack of standards, labor of regulation by OSHA and other government agencies and secrecy and confidentiality agreements required of all employees has been severely impacted. Workers high tech industries such as biotech and nanotech are unable to prove where they got injured and as a result, they are not eligible for workers compensation and end up going to SSI and other Local, Federal and State agencies for their medical care and compensation. The means a whole category of workers in these new technology industries are unable to get medical coverage and compensation under the present workers compensation structure. This cost shifting and limiting of the liability of Pfizer and other companies has resulted in government agencies having to take care of the corporation and insurance companies liabilities. This is a important and growing issue for the American people as well as the public health care questions.

http://www.workersmemorialday.org

URL Links/Background Information On The Becky McClain Case

Injured Pfizer Biotech Molecular Biologist Amended Federal Complaint Against Retaliation And Discrimination
http://i.bnet.com/blogs/mcclain-complaint.pdf

Becky McClain, former Pfizer molecular biologist
http://blip.tv/file/2061380

Dangers in Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Lack of Safety Oversight and Lack of Worker Rights
http://www.workersmemorialday.org/documents/McClain.htm

Becky McClain vs. Pfizer Inc.
http://i.bnet.com/blogs/mcclain-complaint.pdf

Trial Set for Pfizer Scientist Who Alleged Virus Was Loose in the Lunchroom
http://industry.bnet.com/pharma/10006036/trial-set-for-pfizer-scientist-who-alleged-virus-was-loose-in-the-lunchroom/?tag=main;content

Pfizer Scientist blames Pfizer for Illness On The Job
http://www.theday.com/article/20100119/BIZ02/301199973/1044

Multinational Criticized Over Worksite Safety
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2009/10/113_53466.html

Blood, phlegm and tears and the case of biotech worker David Bell
http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/content?oid=870890

David Bell tells his story
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2567912703426192318

Statement of Sandi Trend, Mother of Injured BioTech Worker, David Bell
http://www.workersmemorialday.org/documents/Trend.htm

David Bell and the his illness from biotech
http://www.biotechawareness.com/