Workers in low-wage/high risk industries face serious obstacles to achieving an equal footing in negotiating workplace conditions, especially safety and health conditions. In the meatpacking and poultry industries this problem can be particularly acute. A significant proportion of workers are new immigrants who do not speak English as a first language and often are unaware of occupational safety and health protections in the U.S. In 1999 meatpacking plants had the highest injury/illness rates for all US industries. Meatpacking and poultry lead all industries in rate of musculoskeletal disorders. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), representing more than 200,000 workers in these industries, has promoted the use of workplace safety committees in the attempt to equalize the dialogue between workers and management on safety and health issues. In 1999, the UFCW began a year long training project with joint labor-management safety committees in the meatpacking and poultry industries. This project consisted of a) a needs assessment to identify committees that currently exist, both joint labor/management and union; characterize the size and makeup of committees; identify duties and functions of the committees, common characteristics shared by effective committees, and common obstacles they face; b)development of training curricula suited to the needs of each committee, depending upon their particular characteristics; c)modifying and improving curricula. Results of the needs assessment will be presented, as well as important components of training curricula, and lessons learned. These lessons are applicable to other industries.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify strategies for using safety and health committees to improve workplace safety. 2. Articulate training needs of safety committees. 3. Discuss the characteristics of a strong safety and health committee, as well as the obstacles these committees face to being effective.
Keywords: Workplace Safety,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: United Food and Commercial Workers International Union
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.