On this day Labor History the year was 1979.
That was the day an Oklahoma City jury found in favor of the estate of Karen Silkwood.
Karen worked as a lab tech at the Cimarron nuclear plant, operated by the Kerr-McGee Corporation.
Karen joined the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union during a 1972 strike at the plant.
She walked the picket line, returning to work once the strike was ended.
Karen remained very concerned about safety standards in the plant.
So much so that she decided to serve on the union bargaining team.
She also agreed to secretly collect documentation of the plant’s negligence.
In November she did a routine self-check and found she had higher than normal levels of plutonium, an incredibly deadly substance, in her body.
Further investigation found her home was contaminated.
She became convinced that her employer was attempting to poison her. Kerr-McGee accused Karen of poisoning herself to put nuclear companies in a bad light. Despite her fears, Karen pressed on with her investigation.
She was on her way to meet with a union representative and a reporter from the New York Times, when she died in a mysterious car accident.
She was allegedly carrying a manila folder of documents relating to her investigation. The documents were never found.
Evidence showed that she was likely forced off the road by another vehicle.
The jury found the company at fault for the plutonium contamination, awarding more than $10.5 million in damages.
The company fought the verdict, and eventually settled with the family for $1.38 million.
In 1983 Meryl Streep starred in a movie “Silkwood” telling the story of this incredible woman, who gave her life fighting for workers’ safety.
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Labor History in 2:00 brought to you by the Illinois Labor History Society and The Rick Smith Show