A man was killed today at Brownville Specialty Paper. A 5,000-lb roll of paper fell on him and killed him.

Over the past few months, I have been disgusted by the treatment of employees in the North Country by certain employers, and Brownville Specialty Paper is one of them. My husband worked there for a time, and we both thought it would kill him. Thank goodness he had the insight to quit, regardless of our financial position.

I complained to the Dept of Labor, at least twice - by phone, by email, by letter - and nothing was done. I told them that OSHA has turned a blind eye when it came to Brownville Specialty Paper. Or, I suggested, maybe OSHA doesn't go there at all. Or maybe they hide it really well when OSHA does show up - but I don't see that this is possible.

There is a place at Brownville Specialty Paper called "THE PIT." It is a place where a man must go to, apparently, fix a paper jam. There is no light. There is no air, no oxygen. It is very, very hot, and steamy. An older man warned my husband, "When you start seeing white stars, get the hell out of there." Young men have come out of there crying.

When I spoke to the Dept of Labor, I told them, "Someone is going to die there." I guess I was right. Maybe the Dept of Labor Will Listen NOW!!!

NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS: TIMELESS FRAMES. People will have heart attacks from the grueling 10-hour day imposed on them!!

It is a factory environment. The Dept of Labor's web site says that by law employees working in a factory environment must get a one hour meal break. When I spoke to the Dept of Labor about this, they denied that it's on their web site, and they said that Timeless Frames is not breaking any laws. I know for a fact that people were hired to work an 8-hour day, 5 days a week, and for 14 weeks they were told it was mandatory, beginning in July, that they work a 10-hour day, 5 days a week! Outrageous! They finally gave these employees Fridays off - big deal! But not before 8 (EIGHT) PEOPLE QUIT IN ONE DAY this past November!!!

Attn. Dept of Labor: These employees are tired. They are on their feet for 10 hours a day. 10 hour days don't work - it was proven in the 80's. They're tired. They will have more accidents. They will get sick more often, because their immune system is down. It's an impossible schedule to leave at 6am and return after 6pm, and have a normal life. It's a 12-hour day. Somebody DO SOMETHING!