The Dark Side of GE

Over 270, 000 consumers have signed pledges to boycott General Electric because of the company's nuclear weapons work, according to INFACT, the non-profit organization coordinating the boycott. INFACT estimates that over 3 million consumers are actually participating in the boycott. (See MM, May 1988)

In addition, more than 200 organizations have endorsed INFACT's campaign to "break the influence of transnational corporations in national and worldwide security decisions," and to compel General Electric to stop its work on nuclear weapons.

INFACT launched the boycott campaign in June 1986 in response to what it terms "GE's pervasive influence in the making of nuclear weapons," and the company's involvement in "shaping military policies for profits." GE is one of the largest defense contractors in the country, manufacturing engines for numerous Air Force jets and the new, $500 million B-2 "Stealth" bomber.

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. David C. Jones has been a member of the GE board of directors since 1976.

The INFACT boycott is not the only matter troubling General Electric. A Pinellas, Fla. GE facility that manufactures "triggers" for nuclear weapons is an "environmental mess," according to a report in the St. Petersburg Times. Toxic and radioactive wastes from the plant have been found in the Pinellas sewage system and in a nearby bay, and federal officials suspect the company may have illegally dumped additional wastes in county landfills.

And the company was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 1988 on 317 counts of fraud and making false claims in connection with a logistics computer contract. GE is accused of trying to defraud the Army of $21 million, and two GE officials are accused of racketeering and lying to the government.

INFACT has a number of materials available in relation to its boycott campaign, including its 133-page report, "General Electric: Shaping Nuclear Weapons Policies for Profits." People interested in learning more can contact INFACT at P.O. Box 3223, South Pasadena, CA 91030, or call (818) 281-5953.

What's In the Beef?

Brazilian cattle-breeders are using the carcinogenic hormone diethylstilbestrol - known better as DES - to fatten cattle before slaughter, a coalition of 47 Brazilian organizations charge. Writing in an open letter to Brazilian Agriculture Minister Iris Rezende, the groups accuse breeders of smuggling the drug from Bolivia and Paraguay.

"A sordid crime is being committed by law-breaking and smuggling cattle-breeders that risks the health of thousands of defenseless citizens," the letter states.

Use of DES for fattening cattle is prohibited worldwide, but the drug "is used routinely by our cattle-breeders," the letter states, claiming that fully one-half of all cattle killed annually receive hormone implants.

The 47 organizations also claim that the Brazilian government's methods for testing cattle for hormones are inadequate. And, they claim, only beef meant for export is tested at all. "Gas chromatography... the official testing method, is inadequate," the letter states, because it is incapable of detecting DES. The letter states that the government is aware of this fact, but continues to "waste money and put the health of the population at risk" by refusing to change the testing procedure.

Official culpability in the scandal is also raised in the letter. "The government itself... is aware of the use of the product, ignores this fact, and uses a method of analysis that does not detect residues of the hormone in beef, thereby permitting and even facilitating such an irresponsible practice," the letter states.

Signatories to the letter include the Federal Council of Medicine, the National Federation of Physicians, the Department of Nutrition at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and numerous other health, consumer protection and nutrition organizations. The letter calls on the Ministry of Agriculture to adopt a "sensible method for detecting DES, as practiced in the United States and Europe," an increase in the number of samples analyzed, and serious punishment for breeders who violate the law by using DES on their herds.

Motorola-Korea Roughs Up Workers

The International Metalworkers Federation (IMF) claims the U.S.-based multinational Motorola brutalizes its Korean workers. According to the IMF, the company has set up a kusadae - "save the company corps" - which consists of 'thugs' who offer their services to Korean companies. The primary work of the kusadae has been to intimidate trade union activists. The IMF charges that the Motorola kusadae has disrupted union meetings, attacked union organizers with iron bars and cattle prods, and set four union leaders on fire. Motorola, the giant electronics firm has 5,000 employees in Seoul and in 1987 Motorola in Korea made $8.8 billion in profits.

A Limited Ban

The Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of the widely used cancer-causing fungicide, captan, on 42 fruits and vegetables, but permitted its continued usee on 24 other fruits and vegetables, including apples, cherries, luettuce and tomatoes. The EPA claims the benefits of its use on these crops still outweigh the risks.

In 1987, the United Farm Workers of America called for a national boycott of table grapes in order to stop grape producers from using captan and four other pesticides. The union charged that the pesticides were a health threat both to their members who worked in the fields and to consumers. Ten billion pounds of captan, produced by more than 80 chemical companies, are sprayed on crops every year in the United States.