President's Message

SAFETY and HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE

Safe Jobs Now

You have the right to a safe job—your job isn't supposed to injure, kill or maim. But each year more than 6 million U.S. workers are injured or become sick on the job, 50,000 U.S. workers die from occupational illness and nearly 6,000 are killed on the job.

The union movement and especially AFSCME continues to lead the fight for and win job safety protections that improve the lives of all workers. That fight continues every day in our workplaces, in the legislatures where laws are enacted and in the offices of government regulators whose duty it is to protect our work environment and keep us safe.

AFSCME health and safety staff also provides information or assistance to address specific health and safety problems and advice on enforcing OSHA Standards (http://www.osha.gov/comp-links.html) . Some of these requests are handled by a fact sheet, others by a letter, and, in some situations, AFSCME health and safety staff will conduct site visits and meet with the employer and/or government agencies.

If it's a difficult problem that can't be handled locally, a Local Union official generally writes or phones the AFSCME Council staff representative who then contacts the International Health and Safety Staff in Washington D.C. Working together, the local union safety and health committee, staff representatives, and specialists from the International Union attempt to identify the precise nature of the problem and the best way to solve it.

Some cases involve little more than sending a fact sheet or manual to the local. Some may require research and a letter or report. Others require a great deal more work, research, site visits, meetings with the employer and government agencies, and legal action.

The role of AFSCME health and safety staff is to provide specialized knowledge of safety hazards, toxic chemicals, occupational medicine, government regulations, and the experience of working with other locals on similar problems. The key to success, however, is organizing by an active local union safety and health committee supported by local union officers and council staff. Their job at the International is to work with the local union, not instead of it. When they conduct site visits they always request that representatives from the local union health and safety committee accompany them on inspections and to meetings. Their goal is not only to assist the local in resolving a specific problem, but also to provide the local with the expertise, knowledge and organizing tools to address other health and safety problems.

As President of Council 77 and Local 2531, I have had first hand experience with AFSCME's Safety & Health experts such as Diane Brown and I can assure you that they are experienced and extremely competent in their field. I serve on the International Unions Safety and Health Advisory Board appointed by President Gerald McEntee and I am glad to do this representing our West Virginia Council.

In West Virginia public employees have very inadequate laws guaranteeing a safe and healthy workplace. A union like AFSCME is the edge we need until those laws can be strengthened. Contact us at the Council office with any safety hazard or complaint in your state, county or municipal workplace.

Sincerely and fraternally,

Ronnie "Bear" Napier, President

President's Message on Privatization