Safety — 2

Pro Bono
This is training provided with all costs absorbed by the Grand Lodge or IAM CREST. This includes the annual Safety & Health Conference at the WWW Center, which averages more than 90 members each year receiving training in both U.S. and Canadian-developed curriculum. In addition, at the request of any of the General Vice-Presidents, we provide training to our local or district lodge that may have serious need or requires specialized training to address specific issues.

With the expansion of the WWW center, beginning in the spring of 2003, an additional Safety & Health class was added. The first “Air Transport Safety & Health Class” took place. The 30 participants received training specific to their industry sector and work processes unique to our airline members. These classes will continue and we will be rotating other sectors in order to address their individual needs.

The graph above outlines the amount and category of training that has been provided since the last Grand Lodge Convention.

Another important function of the department is to monitor the regulatory processes as they relate to safety and health issues that are being considered by our legislators. Since the Republicans took control of both Houses of Congress, along with the White House, numerous changes in the OSHA Standards have been made, which have been detrimental to all workers. Within weeks of President Bush’s inauguration, the ergonomic standard was voided. This standard was implemented during the Clinton administration after more than a decade of lobbying and working with the Department of Labor in its development by organized labor.

The department continues to work with our transportation sector to improve worker protections for our airline workers. Historically, the Federal Aviation Administration has oversight authority for airline workers that supercedes OSHA. Now the new Transportation Security Agency has impacted the way the workers do their job and, at times, in ways that increase the health risks of these members.

The department has represented the IAM on the Maritime Advisory Board since 1995. The 15-member board is made up of labor, industry and government representatives established to advise the Secretary of Labor on critical issues. In previous years the Board would meet three times a year and forward recommendations to the Secretary. However, we have only met a total of three times since the Bush administration came into office. Though the process has been slowed significantly, having a place at the table insures our members’ interests continue to be advocated in this forum.

The Safety & Health Department actively participates in the National Safety Council Labor Division along with many of our local and district lodge representatives. For the last three years, the Department has provided a 10-hour OSHA training course during these sessions not only for our members in attendance, but to brothers and sisters from other unions as well. The Labor Division meetings have always been a good opportunity for members to discuss similar concerns and to promote the importance of worker protections. We encourage all locals and districts to send representatives to both the spring and fall Labor Division meetings.

The requests from the local and district representatives are always given top priority by the safety and health staff. The experienced staff, along with our extensive computerized database, allows most of the inquiries to be responded to immediately. If the request requires additional professional counsel, the department has a reliable network of industrial hygienists, ergonomists, occupational doctors and other professions to call upon for guidance.

The Return to Work Program at Boeing provides vocational rehabilitative services to our members who get injured on the job. This model program has provided those injured workers with the expertise of an IAM CREST Vocational Counselor in determining their ability to work, setting up accommodations, if needed, and/or placing them in temporary positions during their recovery, if medically fit. The 22 Counselors are all state-certified and have successfully provided their services to thousands of our members at Boeing.

The Safety & Health Department at Grand Lodge will continue to be diligent in providing worker education, assistance to our local and district lodges and fighting for better worker protections under the law for our members so that their workplace is free from all known safety & health hazards.


IAM CREST Accountant Brett Long and Accounting Administrative Assistant Sara Dawson.