Labor/Management Health and Safety Committees

Joint committees can be very effective or just go through the motions and get very little done. There must be mutual respect and good faith on both sides if the committee is to work well. Management can show its respect and good faith by:

• having senior management who can make decisions on the committee;
• providing resources for committee functions, training and fixing problems;
• reporting to the managers who make decisions and get things done; and
• giving valid reasons if committee recommendations are not followed.

There are a number of suggested keys to an effective labor/management committee. These are only suggestions. Some may not be appropriate in your situation.

1. Committee Makeup

• Labor and management should have an equal number of representatives.
• The labor members MUST be chosen by the union.
• The chair should rotate between labor and management.

2. Committee Meetings

• Regular meetings should be held on a monthly or at least quarterly basis. Either party should be able to call a meeting if there is an emergency.
• The agenda should be made up by both sides in advance of the meeting. 
  

3. Inspections

• Committee members should make regular walk-throughs to find problems. The inspections should take place without telling supervisors or workers ahead of time.
• The committee should conduct follow-up inspections to make sure that problems are corrected. 
  

4. Pay for Lost Time

Committee members should receive their normal pay for meetings, inspections, reviewing records, training or other health and safety duties.

5. Investigations

Committee members should investigate employee health and safety complaints and injuries. The committee should be able to use equipment to measure chemical exposures, noise and other hazards.

6. Access to Information

Committee members should be able to look at the:

• injury and illness records and workers compensation reports;
• injury investigations and OSHA inspection reports;
• data on chemicals and other hazardous materials in the workplace; 
  costs of equipment, supplies and other materials needed to correct 
  problems; and
• incident reports relating to all injuries or close calls. 
  

7. Training

Committee members should get training so they can do a good job. For example, committee members should receive one week of training each year at the employer’s expense. Training should cover topics such as:

• “accident” investigation methods;
• how to do inspections;
• in-depth courses such as trenching operations, ergonomics or traffic control;
• laws and regulations;
• problem solving; and
• effective communication. 
  

8. Technical Decisions

The committee should recommend solutions to problems. These include policies and purchases of chemicals, equipment and other supplies. The committee should also be involved with choosing who will provide medical, consulting or other services.

Negotiating for a Health and Safety Committee

It is important to negotiate contract language that spells out the committee’s structure, functions and procedures as shown here:

The Employer and the Union shall establish a Labor/Management Health and Safety Committee. The committee shall be composed of an equal number of representatives appointed by the Employer and the Union and shall be co-chaired by a Union and an Employer representative.

The general responsibility of the committee will be to promote a safe and healthful workplace by recognizing hazards and recommending abatement of hazards and education programs. To fulfill this responsibility the committee shall:

• meet on a defined schedule, but in no case less frequently than once per quarter;
• conduct inspections to find and evaluate hazards, and to offer recommendations for control of potential health and safety hazards including working alone situations;
• appoint members of the Union to go on inspections;
• receive copies of all injury and illness reports, lists of toxic materials and exposure records;
• promote health and safety education;
• maintain and review minutes of Health and Safety Committee meetings.

Members of the Health and Safety Committee shall be allowed paid time off from their regular work while performing committee duties and shall also be allowed paid time off for training relating to health and safety.

Is the Joint Health and Safety Committee Working?

Local unions must be on their guard in any labor/ management committee setting. Management can use committees as a way to look like they are concerned rather than actually doing something to correct a problem. In other words, does management just “talk the talk” or does it  “walk the walk”? Committees can also become a way to delay addressing real problems.

BE CAREFUL!!! Don't let the committee become part of the problem.

Union members should judge the committee by asking themselves:

• Are hazards seen as real and serious?
• Has the committee made good and workable recommendations?
• Has the employer put the committee’s recommendations into practice?
• Does it take longer than it should to get action?
• Is management more interested in slogans and putting up posters?
• Does management prefer to run “safety” contests than make real changes?

If the committee is not doing an effective job, the union may want to stop participating until management shows that it is serious. Remember, the union should always have its own health and safety committee so that it can still act if the joint committee is ineffective.