Oklahoma - AFSCME Trains the Safety Trainers

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Local governments can spend thousands of dollars hiring private trainers to teach safety on the job, but the public works employees represented by Tulsa Local 1180 received their training courtesy of their union.

The city’s Department of Environmental Quality requires all 700 water and sewer workers to obtain licenses to work in confined spaces, which they can get by attending an 8-to 12-hour course. But training costs money.

About four years ago, then-Local 1180 Pres. Mark Stodghill made a cost-saving suggestion: AFSCME will provide that training—free.

“They just couldn’t believe that it wouldn’t cost the city anything,” says Bill Roland, a former crew leader in the city’s water distribution unit and president of the local. “It took us a while to convince them that AFSCME would do this at no charge.”

City officials were at first lukewarm to the idea. But, in 2006, they agreed to permit several members of the local, and some supervisors, to take the course and rate it. It was a success and a second session was conducted last October for about 20 employees and supervisors, who would later teach other employees.

“We all passed each area of the tests, so we can now train city employees without having to hire someone to come in from the outside,” says Roland, who attended the training before he was elected president of the local last December.

Danielle Williams, a wastewater treatment plant operator and a member of Local 1180 who also took the course, says, “It’s just another way the union is trying to make the workplace better for everyone.”

AFSCME staff representatives wanting to learn about AFSCME safety training should contact the International at (202) 429-1000. Ask for the health and safety program.