CWA District 6 Occupational Safety and Health Conference Call

Participants-

Karen Matthews, Vice President, CWA Local 6016

Helen Amador, President, CWA Local 6137

Marc Larousse, Vice President, CWA Local 6139

Carlos Cruz, Executive Vice President, CWA Local 6150

David Patton, President, CWA Local 6203

James Allen, President, CWA Local 6218

Ed Stephens, President, CWA Local 6314

Erin Hall, President, CWA Local 6316

Jeff Hayes, CWA Local 6360

Gerald Murray, President, CWA Local 6507

Charlie Torres, CWA Representative and

David LeGrande, CWA Occupational Safety and Health Director

Participant Reports/New Issues-

David Patton, CWA Local 6203, brought up the issue of telecommunications technicians working in hot indoor (e.g., attics) and outdoor environments, the hazardous working conditions and the potential for heat stress, as well as the need for employers to provide protective procedures/requirements/equipment. David LeGrande noted the very real hazards technicians face while performing their work in hot climates and workplaces citing the example of a fatality of an outside technician last year. He suggested David and other call participants go the CWA Occupational Safety and Health Webpage, www.cwasafetyandhealth.org, click on fact sheets, download and read a copy of fact sheet number 18 "Temperature Extremes and the Workplace." In addition, he recommended participants go to the federal OSHA (www.osha.gov) and NIOSH (www.cdc-niosh.gov) websites to obtain a copy of/read the federal heat stress guidelines and recommendations. If represented employers do not follow these guidelines and recommendations, he asked participants to contact him to initiate action to ensure employers do not place our members in harms way.

Also, David mentioned safety and health concerns related to electrical hazards encountered by telecommunications technicians, suggesting OSH activists review and provide copies of the Union's publication "Reducing Electrical Hazards: How Telecom Techs Can Protect Themselves and Help CWA Hold Employers Responsible" to technicians. This material is available for downloading on the Safety and Health Department website, www.cwasafetyandhealth.org. David said he would send 50 copies of the publication to Charlie Torres for distribution. 

In addition, David Patton asked that the heat stress issue be covered at the Union's  Occupational Safety and Health Conference to be held October 3-5, 2009 in San Diego.

Jeff Hayes, CWA Local 6360, raised a related issue for technicians working in attics, i.e., provision of the necessary and appropriate equipment such as "surfboards" to ensure members do not experience safety and health problems. Proper use of the surfboard equipment allows technicians to move around the attic and not fall through the ceiling/dry wall. Jeff reported AT&T recently provided technicians with the "surfboards," but did not provide instructions or training regarding the appropriate and safe use of this equipment. Several other occupational safety and health (OSH) activists mentioned the Company had not yet provided the "surfboard" equipment to Union-represented technicians. Charlie Torres agreed to raise these issues with AT&T through the CWA District 6-AT&T Occupational Safety and Health Committee and report back to local leaders and safety and health activists.    

Marc Larousse, CWA Local 6139, reported a potentially serious carbon monoxide (CO) exposure issue while technicians were performing manhole/confined spaces work. The source of the exposure is specific to the blower equipment manufactured by Team Phoenix Power Trailers. While the blower was in operation, a technician was exposed to dangerously high levels of CO resulting in related health effects. Subsequently, he was taken to the hospital for emergency treatment. Fortunately, he recovered with no medically-diagnosed long-tern health problems. Upon being notified of this case, Mark discussed the equipment and related issues with the AT&T supervisor. In turn, exposure monitoring tests were conducted. Although these tests did not indicate a violation of the OSHA CO Standard (50 parts per million (PPM), they were conducted in a laboratory-like setting, thus not accounting for potential environmental factors (e.g., the wind blowing the CO into the manhole/confined space). Mark indicated he was contacting and telling different CWA locals to beware of this situation, including ensuring AT&T is conducting environmental exposure monitoring as well as taking the appropriate measures to ensure our members' safety, health, and well-being.      

David LeGrande thanked Marc for his thoroughness in covering this issue and asked Charlie Torres to bring this issue to the attention of the joint CWA District 6-AT&T Occupational Safety and Health Committee. Also, he suggested District 6 might send out an alert to all locals to ensure AT&T is not exposing our members to harmful and potentially life-threatening levels of CO.

The Employee Free Choice Act and Occupational Safety and Health-

David LeGrande discussed the importance of OSH activist's participation in working for the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. In discussing the need for such passage, he emphasized the Act would allow unorganized workers the opportunity to organize a union and successfully negotiate protective workplace safety and health collective bargaining language. In turn, as CWA and the labor movement are successful in organizing more workers into unions, the increased numbers of union-represented workers would increase labor's overall ability to negotiate comprehensive workplace safety and health contract language with represented employers.

In response, several participants indicated they would be visiting their elected representatives during the upcoming Congressional recess for the purpose of convincing them to vote in favor of cloture and/or sign-on to the legislation. This includes the two Democratic Party U.S. Senators from Arkansas, the Honorable Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln, who, as of yet, have not co-sponsored the Employee Free Choice Act.

Occupational Safety and Health during the Obama Administration-

David LeGrande reported on examples of the Obama Administration's support for improved occupational safety and health policies and practices. The nomination and confirmation of Congresswoman Hilda Solis (D-CA) as Secretary of Labor is the first sign of a marked improvement. Congresswoman's Solis past support for and activity on behalf of workplace safety and health demonstrates she will be a tireless advocate for improved workplace safety and health and worker's rights.

More recently, the appointment of Jordan Barab as OSHA Acting Assistant Secretary (once a permanent Assistant Secretary is nominated and confirmed, he will become the Deputy Assistant Secretary) is another indication of President Obama's commitment to improved and safe and healthful working conditions. Previously, Jordan served in a number of safety and health positions including the chief staff representing labor policy issues on the House of Representatives Labor and Education Committee, OSHA labor liaison during the Clinton Administration, and Director of Occupational Safety and Health for AFSCME. CWA and the rest of the labor movement look forward to working with Jordan in his new position. 

Blue-Green Alliance-

David LeGrande reported CWA's membership in the recently-created Blue-Green (Labor-Environmental) Alliance. In coordination with the United Steel Workers, the Laborers, and the Service Employees International Union, CWA has joined this coalition for the purpose of helping to create good (sustainable union) jobs, green jobs, and safe jobs. Focused primarily upon manufacturing work, the Blue-Green Alliance includes environmental organizations such as the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council and labor-environmental coalitions like the New Jersey Work Environment Council.  

CWA Occupational Safety and Health Conference, October 3-5, 2009 at the San Diego Holiday Inn On-the-Bay-

David LeGrande mentioned the Union's 2009 Occupational Safety and Health Conference will be held October 3-6 at the Holiday Inn On-the-Bay, San Diego, California. He encouraged OSH activists to bring this issue to the attention of their local president and/or executive board with the idea of maximizing participation. Several timely and important topics such as workplace ergonomics and job stress, workplace violence, indoor air quality, effective safety and health committees, and using occupational safety and health to help build and strengthen the union will be addressed in plenary, panel, and strategy and discussion/workshop sessions.

Date of the Next CWA District 6 Occupational Safety and Health Conference Call-

The next District 6 Occupational Safety and Health Conference Call is scheduled for Wednesday, August 19, 2009 from 8:30- 10:30 a.m. (CST).