The Black Vault - Miami postal workers lose anthrax-protection suit

Miami - A federal judge is denying a request by South Florida postal clerks who want to wear masks at the counter to protect against anthrax.

an Associated Press report 11/17/01

U.S. District Judge Patricia Seitz denied the motion from the American Postal Workers Union's Miami local.

They were seeking an injunction requiring the U.S. Postal Service to arbitrate the dispute.

Seitz says safety issues surrounding anthrax should be decided between the employees' national union and the Postal Service.

Authorities believe two Washington, D.C., postal workers who died from the disease were infected by anthrax-laced letters sent to Congress and federal agencies.

Anthrax-laced letters are also believed responsible for infecting two employees at a West Palm Beach publishing company, killing one of them.

The Postal Service has distributed masks and gloves to employees who work out of public view.

But it says no one working post office counters can wear the masks because of the image it would project.

Lawyers for the Postal Service say it's not medically necessary to wear masks at the window.