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coalition delegation that met with The\rec'prd of union actions backs both senators. This group included up GrKaren Silkwood's wired Attorney General Saxbe parents. NOW presented petitions about mounting evidence of foul ~ILIThe New York Times. Senate hearings were scheduled ments were not found in the wreck­ Senators Lee Metcalf (D-Mont.) for March, then suddenly post­ age. and Abraham Ribicoff (D-Conn.) poned until April. Last month dur­ That same month, the union sent have pulled the Senate out of the ing an interview with Sen. Metcalf, the Attorney General's office docu­ Joint Congressional investigation on National Public Radio reporter Bar­ mented engineering and chemical government agencies' response to bara Newman learned that the evidence that Karen's car was hit her death and the circumstances Senate had pulled out of the from the rear. At that time, they surrounding it. Metcalf blamed the hearings altogether and had turned had not received a reply to any of Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers the matter over to Rep. John their previous correspondence. (OCAW) union for his action, claim­ Dingell's House subcommittee on In March, Mazzocchi appeared on ing he believed they didn't think Energy and Environment. an ABC TV newscast and told com­ further investigation was necessary. mentator Harry Reasoner that the AI Grospiron, OCAW's President In reply to Newman's query on union was dissatisfied with all of­ promptly held a press conference to whether Senate involvement was ficial investigations-federal and refute that claim. called off because of pressure from state. Here are the events that have led the Kerr-McGee company and/or It's obvious the union is not to the current situation. Last the Republican minority on his com­ responsible for the Senate with­ mittee, Metcalf said no, asserting Novembet 1~, -proda.\.med Silkwood drawal, so who is? We now know Memorial Day, culminated NOW's that the Senate comroitt~e's dec\sion \nat betC\t«<'- the Senate decision to national campaign for a con­ was based on the belief that the un­ withdraw from the investigation, gressional investigation. ion was now satisfied with the Metcalf was paid a visit by Dean Chapter actions were numerous original police reports. McGee, President of the Kerr­ across the country. In Pittsburgh, a OCAW President Grospiron im­ McGee conglomerate of oil, coal, demonstration protested federal mediately called a press conference uranium and plutonium interests. agency cover-up. In Green Bay, and flatly denied that he or any Furthermore, Government Wisconsin, NOW's coalition of OCAW representative had discour­ Operations Committee members, women's groups, unionists and en­ aged the Senate investigation, ad­ Senators Charles Percy and Bill vironmentalists sponsored a guerilla ding that he hadn't spoken with Brock seem reluctant to support theatre performance, a candlelight Metcalf since the 1972 McGovern funds for a full committee investiga­ vigil and a tree-planting in Karen's campaign. tion. There are four nuclear plants memory. NOW workers and Nadar's "In fact," Grospiron declared, "the record is in Illinois, and another nuclear facili­ group, Critical Mass, organized a quite clear. OCAW instituted... the only ty in Tennessee. Has industry definitive investigation into the death of moving candlelight march to the Karen Silkwood and we have consistently pressure had its effect on the Senate? Capitol Steps where Bella Abzug and followed through in pursuing every con­ NOW members in Connecticut, Karen's father called for immediate ceivable route in the pursuit of justice in this Montana, Tennessee and Illinois congressional action on this case, matter.... The cause of Karen Silkwood's worked hard to persuade the Senate death remains unsolved as far as the OCAW and targeted the Capitol with is concerned. The Senate and House Com­ committee to participate in the April petitions, letters and telegrams call­ mittees instituted an investigation. We are hearings and possible future in­ ing for an investigation. Connecti­ committed to cooperate with any respon­ vestigations. By the time you read - cut and Montana NOW focused on sible authority in order to get to the bottom this, the OCAW, NOW and SOS will Senators Ribicoff and Metcalf. of the Silkwood affair. I don't know why have testified at these April 26-27 Senator Metcalf decided to withdraw from That same week, NOW, led by this hearing but it certainly was not because hearings. By Sara Nelson Chair-one Ellie Smeal, headed a he was asked to by OCAW." Labor TF Coordinator 2