CLEVELAND, February 8 — BLET members are urged to call their Senators and ask them to vote no on S. 852, the Fairness in Asbestos Injury Resolution Act of 2005, which is currently up for debate on the Senate floor.
The bill, introduced by Senator Arlen Specter, would create a $140 billion trust fund to compensate victims for asbestos-related medical problems, financed by asbestos manufacturers and their insurers, who could no longer be sued in court. Attorneys’ fees would be capped, and payments to victims would be based on the level of exposure and type of disease.
Labor, including both the Change to Win Federation and the AFL-CIO, opposes the bill. Unions do not support the general provisions of this bill for several reasons. The trust fund for resolving claims is too small, and the legislation does not resolve the issues of claims already filed against existing bankruptcy trusts, claims from individuals suffering from both asbestos and silica-related disease, and it does not contain an orderly sunset process allowing for matters to be resolved before the fund is shut down.
BLET members are urged to mention the following items when they contact their Senators:
— Access to compensation for seriously ill victims while the system starts up is eliminated;
— $140 billion proposed for funding is inadequate;
— It is unfair to victims, defendants and insures could escape liability in binding settlements under the bill; and
— It would preclude individuals suffering from asbestos-related and silica-related disease from compensation for their silica related injury.
For each Senator’s contact information, go to: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm