Building the Union With Health and Safety
Building the union means getting people involved. Getting workers involved with health and safety issues is a good way to increase participation in the union. It is also a good way to solve problems. All too often, just a few of the same people take responsibility for addressing every workplace problem. But the local union is more effective when more members participate in activities and see that things get done.
Workers may not take part in union efforts to address problems because they think, “Things have always been that way;” or “Nothing is going to change.” Union leaders and activists have a better chance of mobilizing workers to participate in union activities by taking on issues that workers care about and that can be changed.
Workplace safety is a good issue in which to involve members because:
- health and safety affects all workers;
- health and safety concerns can move workers to take action; and
- health and safety issues can be won.
The union approach: make our jobs safe!!!
Nearly all deaths, illnesses and injuries can be prevented. Workplace injuries and deaths are not really “accidents” because they normally have well-known causes that can be controlled. Eliminating or controlling dangerous working conditions will prevent “accidents.” Workers acting together in their union must make sure their employers provide safe working conditions that prevent death, illness and injury.
Many employers believe that injuries are the fault of careless workers. Too many workers also think that this is the main cause of injuries. This is called “blaming the victim.” It assumes that workers have full control over how work is done. The challenge is to change the working conditions that caused the incident rather than blaming the victim.
Prevention means problem solving
Union activists are problem solvers. Solving workplace problems takes three basic steps:
- Identifying the problem;
- Finding a solution to the problem; and
- Developing a strategy to make the employer correct the problem.
Solving health and safety problems means finding out why workers are being injured and then controlling hazards. Pressure is often needed to make an employer control workplace hazards. An effective way to apply pressure on the employer is to coordinate activities by workers who have been injured or are at risk of injury. This approach to solving health and safety problems requires organization.
Local union committee
Every local union needs a workplace health and safety committee that contains union members, even if there is already a labor/management committee. The union would never sit at the bargaining table with management before deciding issues and strategies in its own bargaining committee. Likewise, the union should never sit down with management to discuss health and safety issues without discussing them first in the union's health and safety committee. And you can bet that management meets together before and after any health and safety meetings with the union.
The union's committee must be independent of management and separate from any labor/management health and safety committee. Where management is sincerely interested in making the workplace safe, a joint labor/management committee can also be an effective tool. However, as long as the union has its own functioning committee, health and safety issues will be addressed, even if the labor/management committee is not working well.
Organizing a health and safety committee
It’s easy to say that the union should have a health and safety committee, but it's often hard to get one going. This is especially true if no one except “the usual suspects” ever comes to union meetings. The same group of union leaders and stewards who do everything else already have too much to do. Getting new people involved in this area is a way to broaden participation and develop new leadership. So how do you get new members involved?
1. Start small. It may take a while to develop a committee that has workers from every work area and every shift. Two or three active, involved people would make a great start to a health and safety committee.
2. Start slowly. Don't just suddenly ask someone to sit on a committee or organize a job action. Start with an activity that matches the interests and skills of the committee members. For example, ask them to help you pass out surveys or just talk with some people about their health and safety problems. Maybe some people will pass out fact sheets or staff an information table at lunch.
3. Get them educated. Find training for members who are interested in health and safety issues and are willing to put a little time in. The International union provides training courses and conferences, and also has contacts with other organizations that provide training. Check with universities or community colleges in your area.
4. Keep meetings short and well organized. They should take place at a convenient time and place, and there should be a set agenda. Stick to the agenda, give out assignments, and adjourn the meeting on time.
5. Recognize achievements. This can include tokens from the union or special mention at the local meeting or in the local’s newsletter.
Over time, try to expand the committee beyond the core of activists. Like any organizing or labor/management committee, try to have the committee represent the workplace in terms of age, gender, race, job title and work unit. Most important, committee members should be interested in health and safety issues, and respected by their co-workers. They need to make a commitment to work on these issues.
