Karen Silkwood was a union martyr. She died trying to protect the health and safety of her fellow workers. She died on Nov. 13, 1974, while en route to a meeting with New York Times reporter David Burnham. She was bringing him documents proving that her company, Kerr-McGee Nuclear Corp., had falsified quality control records of nuclear fuel rods.
On the way to the meeting, Silkwood’s car was run off the road. The documents she had with her were not found in her vehicle. An independent investigator provided convincing evidence that Silkwood’s car was struck from the rear and driven off the road, causing her death.
After Silkwood’s death, there was a federal investigation of the Kerr-McGee plant and widely reported allegations of missing plutonium. Her family later won a multi-million dollar judgment against the company. “Karen Silkwood risked her life because she cared about her fellow workers.
Karen Silkwood probably is the most famous workplace whistleblower of all time. Today, her name evokes the importance of health and safety on the job.