CWA District 9 Occupational Safety and Health Retreat

During May 19-20, 2006, the District 9 Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Retreat was conducted in Manhattan Beach, California. The retreat was held for the primary purposes of bringing local OSH health activists together to: 

• Discuss, coordinate, and develop tactics and strategies focused upon identifying, preventing, and/or resolving member workplace safety and health hazards and related illnesses and injuries,
• Share information on successes and failures, and
• Establish and further communication and networking between and among national, district, and local OSH activists.

Fourty-seven OSH activists and CWA staff from 21 locals, District 9 Headquarters (Larraine Darrington, Administrative Assistant to Vice President Tony Bixler), CWA Headquarters (David LeGrande, Charlie Barrett, and Candace Kolander, AFA-CWA) and COPS (Bill Hemby) participated in the retreat. Noting the diversity of CWA, participants represented and presentations focused upon the telecommunications sector, AFA-CWA, COPS-CWA, IUE-CWA, NABET-CWA and UPTE-CWA.

Linda Delp (Director of the Labor Safety and Health Program, LOSH, at UCLA) made a presentation on participatory methods in adult education and discussed the resources at LOSH that are available to CWA local unions and safety and health activists.

The OSH Retreat targeted a variety of issues including:

• Workplace ergonomics and related activities with SBC-AT&T,
• Radio frequency radiation emissions from and the placement of cellular telecommunications equipment,
• Toxic exposures involving UPTE-CWA and community members at the University of California at Berkeley-Richmond Field Station,
• The U.S. Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) ruling to allow passengers to take once-prohibited items (e.g., blades and scissors) on airplanes,
• IUE-CWA member exposures to hazardous substances such as jet fuels and radiation at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Fallon, Nevada, Electrical hazards experienced by NABET-CWA broadcast technicians, and
• Workplace hazards experienced by police officers (COPS-CWA members).

The OSH Retreat was preceded by a one-day training session on Hazardous National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to the Center for Labor Education and Research-University of Alabama at Birmingham and CWA’s Occupational Safety and Health Department, the training focused upon issues such as the identification and avoidance of hazardous materials, the role of emergency responders, and the use of hazardous materials in terrorist activities.

The district retreat successfully achieved its primary objectives, i.e., to identify ocal union needs, develop and continue the use of ongoing safety and health networks, and coordinate safety and health projects with the Union’s leaders and safety and health activists.  

These goals were primarily achieved through the delivery of ten presentations by selected OSH activists during four defined panel sessions as well as follow-up discussions involving all retreat participants. Presentations targeted real-life, day-to-day activities of CWA leaders, members, and OSH activists.

Going beyond the District retreat, in coordination with the Union’s Occupational safety and Health Department, District 9 Headquarters will work with local union leadership and OSH activists to develop and implement identification and resolution efforts.  Where possible, this work will place emphasis upon identifying and resolving workplace safety and health concerns/problems within the collective bargaining environment.  We will continue the quarterly conference calls and work with coalition partners such as WORKSAFE, the Labor Occupational Health Program (LOHP) at the University of California/Berkeley and the Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program (LOSH) at the University of California/Los Angeles on issues such as heat stress and electrical hazards.

Attached are the retreat agenda and a list of participants.

CWA District 9 Occupational Safety and Health Retreat and Emergency Response/Hazardous Materials/Anti-Terrorism Awareness Training

Manhattan Beach Marriott, Manhattan Beach, CA - May 19-20, 2006

 

Friday, May 19, 2006

 

8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.         Emergency Response/Hazardous Materials/

 Anti-Terrorism Awareness Training

 

7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.         Reception

 

Saturday, May 20, 2006

 

8:30-9:00 a.m.                Welcome and Introduction 

                                     Tony Bixler, CWA Vice President, District 9

 

9:00-10:30                    Ready for the Future: Occupational Safety and     

                                                Health

                                     Dave LeGrande (CWA Occupational Safety & Health 

                                     Department)

 

10:30-10:45                  Break

 

10:45-12:15p.m.           Local Union Issues (Local Union Panel)  
                                     John T Young (CWA Local 9509)

                                     Workplace Ergonomics

                                              Joan Lichterman (UPTE-CWA Local 9119)

                                     Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health

                                     Hazards at the University of California at Berkeley

                                     Richmond Field Station

                                     Candace Kolander (AFA-CWA Air Safety, Health, and Security

                                     Department)

                                     Airline Occupational Safety and Health Issues                  

 

 

 

12:15-1:30                    Lunch 

 

 

1:30-2:45                               Using Joint and Union Occupational Safety and

Health Committees to Identify/Resolve Safety and

Health Issues (Local Union Panel)

                                                 Louie Rocha (CWA Local 9423)

                                    CWA-SBC Joint Committee on Occupational Safety and Health       

                                    (JCOSH) Activities

                                    Eric Benjamin (IUE-CWA Local 89118) Manufacturing Sector

                                    Issues

                                    David Putnam (NABET-CWA Local 59057)

                                    The Cal-OSHA Electronic Newsgathering Standard                                                                           

 

 

2:45-3:00                     Break

 

3:00-4:30                     Developing Occupational Safety and Health

                                                Education and Training Activities/Programs

                                               Linda Delp (Labor Occupational Safety & Health Program

                                    (LOSH)/UCLA)

                                               David Hurlburt (CWA Local 9410)

                                    California Public Utility Commission General

                                    Order 95

                                                Bill Hemby (COPS-CWA)

                                    Public Safety Officer Hazards and Education and Training Issues

                                              Charlie Barrett (CWA Occupational Safety & Health Department)

 

4:30-5:00                     Closing Remarks

 

 

			SIGN-IN SHEET
			CWA DISTRICT 9 RETREAT
			MANHATTAN BEACH, CA
			MAY 19-20, 2006
Last	First	Local	City	State	Email	PHONE NO.
Santana	Joe	9000	Los Angeles	CA	jsantana@cwa9000.org	323-931-9000
Frechette	Dave*	9000	Los Angeles	CA	dfrechette@cwa9000.org	323-931-9000
Hudson	Ken	9333	Modesto	CA	cwa9418@sbcglobal.net	831-578-9122
Labuga	Alex	9333	Modesto	CA	cwa9418@sbcglobal.net	209-726-7157
Saralegui	Juan	9333	Modesto	CA		209-524-9418
Estrella	Steve	9400	Paramont	CA	duostar@sbcglobal.net	925-383-3873
Jibu	Khalif	9400	Paramont	CA	ksjibri@sbcglobal.net	951-333-7952
Barfielo	Mike	9404	San Rafael	CA	climonhills@comcast.net	415-499-9200
Culwell	Joshua	9408	Fresno	CA	jc61impaia@sbcglobal.net	559-273-3054
Hurlburt	David	9410	San Francisco	CA	dghurlb@pacbell.net	850-355-8102
Riffe	Randy	9412	Hayward	CA	abicus@pacbell.net	510-333-9542
Gibbs	Keith	9412	Hayward	CA	Keith@cwa9412.org	510-581-9412
Norris	Bill	9416	Bakersfield	CA	cwa9416@pacbell.net	661-322-7747
Schwager	Bob	9417	Stockton	CA	cwa9417@pacbell.net	209-466-2646
Bell	Michael	9421	Sacremento	CA	michael@cwalocal9421.org	916-484-9421
Rocha	Louie	9423	San Jose	CA	louierocha@cwa9423.com	408-278-9441
Givens	Sean	9423	San Jose	CA	sgivens@cwa9423.com	408-278-9445
Abernethy	Jim	9503	N. Hollywood	CA	jimguns@pacbell.net	601-312-3953
Bordeaux	Shelia	9503	N. Hollywood	CA	MrsSheliaB@aol.com	818-720-1237
Meyette	Ed	9503	N. Hollywood	CA	e.meyette@skylynx.us	661-674-9903
Hart	Mike *	9503	North Hollywood	CA	plmallen@msn.com	818-503-9555
Young	John T.	9509	San Diego	CA	johnt9509cwa@sbcglobal.net	858-695-1509
Martinez	Lino	9573	San Bernadino	CA	ROQITMN@AOL.COM	909-890-1766
Pallen	Vicki	9575	Camarillo	CA	vicki@cwa9575.org	805-987-7557
Arias	James	9575	Camarillo	CA	kingja@vga.net	805-987-7557
Shafer	Lisa	9575	Camarillo	CA	lisamshafer@aol.com	805-987-7557
Atz	Teresa	9575	Camarillo	CA	teresa_atz@yahoo.com	805-985-7557
Arujo	Robert	9586	Norwalk	CA	bob.leah@sbcglobal.net	661-510-7212
Larkin	Lamount*	9586*	Norwalk	CA		562-929-3586
Lozoya	Rene	9586	Norwalk	CA	renelozoya@verizon.net	562-305-9429
Mercado	Rudy	9588	Colton	CA		909-422-8960
Costillon	Jamie	9588	Colton	CA	jccwa9588@aol.com	760-333-8867
Ludwin	Mark	9588	Colton	CA	phoneman158@msn.com	951-505-1819
Lozano	Luis	9588	Colton	CA	likelm@hotmail.com	909-422-8960
Mendoza	Jimmy	9588	Colton	CA	jim.mendoza@adelpia.net	626-833-9859
Sneed	Jonathan	9588	Colton	CA	jonathansneed@yahoo.com	909-519-6788
Romo	Cindy*	9588	Colton	CA		909-422-8960
Moreno	Anthony	9588	Colton	CA	amore1972@verizon.net	909-422-8960
Eric	Benjamin	89118	Fallon	NV	saintsfan@	775-423-6215
Kolander	Candace	AFA-CWA	Washington	DC	ckolander@afanet.org	202-434-0595
Hemby	William	COPS			whemby@sbcglobal.net	800-352-7516
Wharton	Stephanie	COPS	Bell Gardens			562-806-7600
Putnam	David	NABET-CWA 57	Los Angeles	CA	davep@nabet57.com	661-252-0852
Oldfeld	Kenny	UAB
Litchterman	Joan	9119	Berkeley	CA	joan@upte-cwa.org	510-923-0368
Delp	Linda	UCLA-LOSH			ldelp@ucla.edu	310-794-5964
Darrington	Larraine	District 9	Sacremento	CA	]0-	916-921-4500
Barrett	Charlie	CWA Hdqtrs.	Washington	DC	cbarrett@cwa-union.org	202-434-9511
LeGrande	David	CWA Hdqtrs.	Washington	DC