February 1, 1971 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 1287 -EXTENSIOINS OF REMARKS REPRESENTATIVE MOORHEAD SUP­ tioned has also been negotiated in a number The problem of alcohollsm is multiplex; PORTS STEELWORKERS' ALCO­ of other agreements. its eventual control demands a multilateral During 1971, the United Steelworkers of approach. To work with the alcoholic is to HOLISM REHABILITATION PRO­ America will be negotiating contracts with realize the complexity and variety of its GRAM Can, Aluminum, Non-ferrous, Basic Steel and causes, and, in too many cases, to experience many fabricating companies. Our negotiating the frustration that comes with the absence committees will seek the following clause or inadequacy of community facllities and HON. WILLIAM S. MOORHEAD into each contract, which reads as follows: services. OF PENNSYLVANIA "Without detracting from the existing rights To admit that this major health problem IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES and obligations of the parties recognized in is multiplex and its resolution depends on other provisions of this Agreement, the Com­ multi-dimensional treatment programs, is to Friday, January 29, 1971 pany and the Union agree to cooperate in underscore the necessity for joint labor­ Mr. MOORHEAD. Mr. Speaker, there the development of a sound policy and pro­ management programs. More than this, both cedure at the plant level in encouraging em­ labor and management must relate their has been much attention given in the ployees affiicted with the illness of alcoholism efforts to the broader community. The work news in the past year to the ever-increas­ to undergo a coordinated program directed behavior and job performance of the prob­ ing drug problems in our country. to the objective of their rehabilitation." lem drinker is the immediate concern of This is as it should be. However, in this With all the contracts and programs that labor and management. This is the starting new attack on drug addiction and drug can be agreed upon, there still is the need for point, but their concerns for the alcoholic use, let us not forget that the Nation the improvement of community treatment employee will usually take them into the still has a massive alcoholism problem. facilities. For without the proper facilities community. Both labor and management to help the alcoholic, then all the agreements must be concerned with avallab1lity, accessi­ Alcoholism is an illness. Knowledgeable and programs are meaningless. b111ty and the quality of community treat­ people do not look upon it as anything I think it is about time that labor takes ment facilities, services, and personnel. else. Illnesses should be treated just like a good look at the myth of the so-called Looking back over the past decade we can other diseases by trained physicians in "Six Billion Dollar Industrial Hangover." For view with feelings of deep satisfaction the hospitals. years leading organizations in the field of enormous strides that have been made to see The United Steelworkers of America alcohol behavior that deal in education, pre­ and treat alcoholism as a medical problem. have taken a very enlightened view vention and treatment of alcoholism have A measure of that progress is this very series toward alcoholism. In many of their re­ had the same hang-ups about this so-called of Senate Sub-committee hearings. Twenty­ hangover, and the monies lost due to alcohol­ five years ago the only relationship between cent contracts worked out with industry, related drinking problems in industry. government and alcoholism involved the this union has inserted a clause that If we take a realistic approach to this police and the courts. binds the company and the union into a problem we will find that first labor, then However, despite these advancements, I cooperative plant-level program on al­ the general public pay the high price for this would like to underscore that our biggest coholism rehabilitation. I think the Steel­ so-called hangover. task in the area of employment is to reach workers deserve praise for their progres­ During collective bargaining with a com­ and sensitize the spokesmen of both labor pany, labor uses the fiscal profit as one of and management as to the problem and the sive work in this area. the margins in negotiating a contract for the At this time, I would like to introduce fact that there are things they can do to­ betterment of our members. gether. There have been attempts to estab­ into the RECORD the testimony of William We know that alcoholism is one of the lish programs for the rehabil1tation, or ha­ George, the USWA mental health and cost factors which decreases the profit that billtation o!' the alcoholic by labor and in­ addiction coordinator, presented in is used to negotiate with. This cost includes dustry, and some of these programs are Pittsburgh before the Senate Special absenteeism, tardiness, sick leave, fringe successful today. From our experience, the Subcommittee on Alcoholism and benefits, accidents, inefficiency, poor work success of these alcoholism programs estab­ Narcotics: performance, loss of trained manpower, etc. lished in industry depends upon the per­ This means that the package negotiated is sonalties involved. TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM L. GEORGE smaller due to alcoholism. But it is also true that there are many I sometimes wonder why man has allowed After signing the contract with the Union, more plants and firms without such pro­ himself to reach these complexities of ll!e, in many cases the Company increases the grams. We read about a few case histories in and what motivates him to escape into cost of its product, which is handed down to such magazines as Fortune or a report by the alcoholism, which detracts him from facing the consumer. In reality, instead of calllng National Industrial Conference Board and reality? Is· it his spouse, family, friends or alcoholism an industrial hangover, we should believe that such enlightened policies on al­ pressures brought upon him in his home, on say that alcoholism is an inflationary cost to cohollsm are the rule rather than the ex­ the job or society in itself? I hope someday this nation. ception. It would appear that the opposite is this question may be answered, but as of to­ In one way or another we're going to pay true. Our first job is to convince more firms day the only important question is; what for alcoholism. It can be paid for in dollars to adopt forward-looking policies and pro­ can be done for, or how can we help the and cents, or we can pay for it by working grams. The educational phase of our work is alcoholic and his family? We must not forget together in combating this dreaded illness. far from over. In fact, this must be a con­ that alcoholism is not only an individual ill­ Industry speaks of their financial losses tinuing activity. ness, but is also a family and social sickness. due through alcoholism; and labor speaks of Labor must stand united with manage­ I think one of the answers is to broaden their energies lost through grievance of dis­ ment, and the community in establishing a the public's understanding through the news ciplinary cases, involving those suffering joint program for the prevention and treat­ media and educational programs, and ask for from alcoholism. At a meeting with griev­ ment of alcoholism. Without the total co­ a more sophisticated identity of the alcoholic. ance-men of a large local union, I made a operation of all, I do not see how a success­ The United Steelworkers of America, which statement that 60 percent of all disciplinary ful program can be developed. I repres~nt, regards alcoholism as an 11lness. grievances were caused because of alcohol­ At our last two International Conventions ism, and I was told by the chairman of the The Labor-Management Committee of the (August 1968, in Chicago, Illinois and Sep­ grievance committee that I used a conserva­ National Councll on Alcoholism, of which I tember 1970, in Atlantic City, New Jersey) tive figure. I feel, personally, that the most a.m a member, has developed a Cooperative we had an exhibit booth expressively for the important thing is not the dollars that in­ Labor-Management Approach to Employee education of our members about the illness dustry loses nor is it the energy labor ex­ Alcoholism Programs. This program was de­ of alcoholism and the drug problems facing pends, but what is important is the man who veloped for the pre-treatment phase of alco­ our nation today. is suffering from alcoholism. Alcoholism is a. holism instead of treatment itself. During negotiations in 1968 with the basic disease that may take his life; and not only As we all know with adequate treatment steel companies, an alcoholism clause was does the alcoholic suffer, but those close to facilities, then all that is needed is the mo­ negotiated under safety and health, in most him, his family, his close friends, and his tivation of the alcoholic on problem drinkers basic steel contracts, which reads as follows: community. to treatment, the pre-treatment that I re­ "Without detracting from the existing rights It is here where we must start to establish ferred to in the N.C.A. program. and obligations of the parties recognized in a better understanding so that jointly labor, We feel that Labor and Management can other provisions of this agreement, the Com­ management and community can sit down strive forward with the new N.C.A. program, pany and the Union agree to cooperate at the and establish a workable program that will since this program was developed with the plant level in encouraging employees affiicted not only help rehab111tate or hab111tate those coordination of both leaders of Labor and with alcoholism to enter under a Coordinated suffering from alcoholism, but will also be a Management.