In the last decade, great strides have been made in affording health care workers the protections they deserve under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Unfortunately, inspections of health care facilities by OSHA are infrequent or occur only in response to a complaint. In addition, not all of the major hazards have been sucessfully addressed through specific standards and even if an inspection does occur, OSHA's enforcement and citation activities under the general duty clause is lacking. In order to assure health care workers a safe and healthful workplace, it is becoming increasingly important for health care worker unions to negotiate protective health and safety contract language and for frontline workers to monitor and enforce these protections. The participants on this panel have had direct involvement and leadership roles in assessing health and safety hazards in their hospitals or nursing homes, developing and negotiating contract language, grieving violations of the contract, filing OSHA complaints and launching strikes for safer and better working conditions. Section members will be able to engage the panelists in a discussion of some of the barriers they've encountered and lessons they've learned in enforcing effective health and safety contract language in today's health care workplace. Panelists from the following health care sectors are expected to participate: Lead negotiators from private sector hospitals and nursing homes, health and safety representatives from public sector and VA facilities and a union negotiator for a multi-site hospital contract.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to: 1) Recognize the limitations of OSHA's enforcement activities in the health care industry; 2) Describe activities that can occur at the local bargaining unit level to enhance health and safety protections for health care workers; 3) Develop a plan for negotiating and enforcing effective health and safety contract language.
Keywords: Health Care Workers, Occupational Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: American Nurses Association; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; Service Employees International Unon; American Federation of Teachers
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.