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Conference Helps Build CWA Safety and Health Structure
Job stress, ergonomics and using Internet resources to improve job safety were among the topics at the annual CWA Occupational Safety and Health Conference, held in early May in Cleveland.
“All agree that this was an outstanding conference with over 240 attendees, including 40 IUE-CWA members,” said CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen, whose department oversees job safety programs. “Building our safety and health structure remains our top priority, starting with the work site, then the local and district, with support from our Washington, D.C. safety and health staff.”
Cohen said negotiating health and safety language is a key step, and the conference looked at strategies for such contract improvements. “Bargaining additional safety and health resources is a major method of expanding our program, and is in keeping with last year’s convention resolution,” he said.
Other featured speakers included Ed Fire, IUE-CWA president; Brooks Sunkett, CWA vice president for public, health care and education workers; Jeff Rechenbach, CWA District 4 vice president; Mike Bindas, IUE-CWA District 7 vice president; and Peg Seminario, AFL-CIO director of occupational safety and health.
Conference sessions looked at ways to use safety and health activities to build and strengthen the union, the effects of the modern workplace on occupational stress, CWA’s efforts to determine the Sept. 11-related health effects for members who work in lower Manhattan, and many other subjects.
“It was an exceptional conference,” said Local 1103 Business Agent John Gentile. “We had a great turnout, and I think having IUE just adds another dimension to our health and safety efforts in CWA.”
In particular, Gentile praised a conference session that featured members of the IUE-CWA Automotive Conference Board who talked about progressive health and safety language in some of their contracts.
Among other things, he said he learned that Delphi Automotive Systems, formerly part of General Motors, pays for union representatives to do health and safety work. “There’s some tremendous language that we’re going to try to use as a model for some of our contracts,” he said.
“All agree that this was an outstanding conference with over 240 attendees, including 40 IUE-CWA members,” said CWA Executive Vice President Larry Cohen, whose department oversees job safety programs. “Building our safety and health structure remains our top priority, starting with the work site, then the local and district, with support from our Washington, D.C. safety and health staff.”
Cohen said negotiating health and safety language is a key step, and the conference looked at strategies for such contract improvements. “Bargaining additional safety and health resources is a major method of expanding our program, and is in keeping with last year’s convention resolution,” he said.
Other featured speakers included Ed Fire, IUE-CWA president; Brooks Sunkett, CWA vice president for public, health care and education workers; Jeff Rechenbach, CWA District 4 vice president; Mike Bindas, IUE-CWA District 7 vice president; and Peg Seminario, AFL-CIO director of occupational safety and health.
Conference sessions looked at ways to use safety and health activities to build and strengthen the union, the effects of the modern workplace on occupational stress, CWA’s efforts to determine the Sept. 11-related health effects for members who work in lower Manhattan, and many other subjects.
“It was an exceptional conference,” said Local 1103 Business Agent John Gentile. “We had a great turnout, and I think having IUE just adds another dimension to our health and safety efforts in CWA.”
In particular, Gentile praised a conference session that featured members of the IUE-CWA Automotive Conference Board who talked about progressive health and safety language in some of their contracts.
Among other things, he said he learned that Delphi Automotive Systems, formerly part of General Motors, pays for union representatives to do health and safety work. “There’s some tremendous language that we’re going to try to use as a model for some of our contracts,” he said.