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Technical and Bargaining Assistance

AFSCME health and safety staff also provides information or assistance to address specific health and safety problems and advice on enforcing OSHA Standards. 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. Our job at the International is to work with the local union, not instead of it. When we conduct site visits we always request that representatives from the local union health and safety committee accompany us on inspections and to meetings. Our 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.

Bargaining Assistance

Many AFSCME members do not have legal health and safety protections. And even those members who are covered by laws need additional protections that can be written into AFSCME contracts. AFSCME health and safety staff can assist in developing contract language and justifying it during negotiations. AFSCME Research and Collective Bargaining Services staff can also assist in looking for interesting contract language. For additional assistance, please contact:

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