On this day in Labor History the year was 2001.
That was the day that Thomas Morris Jr. died from breathing in anthrax.
A week earlier he had been exposed to the deadly poison when an envelope containing the powdery substance was opened at the mail distribution center where he worked.
Thomas Morris was a member of American Postal Workers Union.
His union brother Joseph Curseen died two days later.
Both men worked at the U.S. Postal Service Brentwood Processing and Distribution Center in Washington D.C.
The poisoned letters were addressed to Senators Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy.
More postal workers at a distribution center in New Jersey also fell ill from exposure to anthrax poisoned mail.
In total, twenty-two people were sickened by Anthrax that fall, from letters addressed to politicians and news outlets.
In addition to the injured, five people died, including a seven-month old infant who was visiting NBC news in New York City with his mother who worked there.
Coming the month after the September 11th attacks, the anthrax poisoning sent another wave of fear of terrorism throughout the United States.
The Brentwood distribution center was closed down for decontamination until December 2003.
When it reopened, the facility was renamed for the two fallen postal workers.
The next year, Senator Joe Lieberman gave an address to the APWU.
He said, “the postal workers who were exposed to anthrax, and still got the mail out and kept our system running—they are all proud union members. I know I’ll never forget that. And America won’t forget that. All of you at the APWU deserve our respect and our support.”
One person suspected of the poisonings committed suicide and the case was closed.
No one was ever convicted of the crimes.
December 1 - Standing Up for Themselves and Their Patients
November 30 - Angel of the Stockyards is Born
November 29 - The Fight for $15 & A Union
November 28 - Disaster in the Mines
November 27 - Death Trap in Newark
November 26 - The Birth of William Sylvis
November 25 - Chicago Printers Walk Off the Job
November 24 - The Hollywood Ten
November 23 - The Thibodaux Massacre
November 22 - Uprising of the 20,000
November 21 - Autoworkers Join the Postwar Strike Wave
November 20 - Birth of the Time Clock
November 19 - Joe Hill’s Final Words
November 18 - Accident or Murder?
November 17 - Resisting Impressment
November 16 - NFL Players End Strike
November 15 - The IWW is Raided
November 14 - The Origins of CWA
November 13 - The Holland Tunnel Opens
November 12 - Striking Against Privatization
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