GCIU Pres. George Tedeschi is asking GCIU members to help the family of the Nashville-Clarksville 290M member at Quebecor World Printing who was crushed to death at work on Dec. 20, 2002.

Donald F. Wilkerson was a material handler at Quebecor's Clarksville, Tenn., plant for nine years. He died of massive crush injuries after he was dragged into a Lantech Lanringer 200 automated stretch wrapper during repairs on the machine.

Noting that Wilkerson is survived by his wife Dorothy and two sons and a daughter, Tedeschi said: "Please keep the Wilkerson family in your thoughts and prayers. This tragedy is unimaginable."

GCIU Rep. Philip Roberts, who is assisting the local, said the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted a preliminary investigation of the accident.

Roberts said the state OSHA is considering citations against the company related to lockout-tagout regulations and other safety and health rules.

Roberts said that evidently the crew had trouble with the machine, and Wilkerson as operator was ordered by a supervisor to fix the machine. Roberts said Wilkerson had not been trained nor authorized in repair or in lockout-tagout procedures. A failsafe switch that Wilkerson used to try to shut down power to the machine apparently malfunctioned, according to Roberts.

Contributions may be sent to the GCIU, 1900 L St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. Please make checks payable to the "GCIU Donald F. Wilkerson Fund." All contributions will be forwarded to the family.