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CNN Saturday Morning News

Postal Workers Union Demands Facility Shut-Down for Anthrax Testing

Aired October 27, 2001 - 11:16   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Let me get back now to Jason Carroll, who was telling us about the concerns of postal officials, specifically postal employees. They're very upset over the fact that they continue to work in a building that has been contaminated there in New York.

Is that right, Jason?

JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Very upset over that, specifically the Postal Workers Union says that they will sue if this facility, the Morgan Processing Facility, which is the largest mail processing center here in Manhattan. They say they will sue if this processing center is not shut down while an environmental check is being done here.

Just to recap just a little bit for you here Marty, what happens is health officials found traces of anthrax on four of the mail sorting machines up here on the third floor of this building. And so what they're doing is they are checking out those machines. They are sterilizing them, and they will be retested before they're put back into service.

Also, some of the workers here, as a precaution, are receiving antibiotics. Also, in addition to that, some of the workers are being told, look, if you're afraid or if you feel as though working in this area is unsafe while this environmental check is going on, the postal service says you can work at one of the five other facilities here in the city until the environmental check has been done.

But once again, that's not good enough for the postal union. They want this facility shut down while the environmental check is completed -- Marty.

SAVIDGE: Jason, thank you very much, reporting to us live from New York. And it shows that despite the military operation overseas, much of the focus appears to be on what's happening here at home. Thank you Jason.

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