Delegates discuss health and safety issues on final day

Health and safety on the job is an important issue because one careless mistake can change a worker’s life forever, delegates to the UAW Special Convention on Collective Bargaining said Thursday as they discussed a Health and Safety resolution that calls for preventative measures and safeguards against hazardous conditions in the workplace.

“It’s important when you leave your home and families that you return the same way that you left,” said Ervin Thompson of UAW Local 3036 in Memphis, Tenn. “Hazardous conditions are everywhere,” said Thompson.

Approved Resolution from the 2011 UAW Special Convention on Collective Bargaining (pdf)

The resolution also called for more training about job safety, the use of new technology to evaluate potential hazards and changes in legislation and standards.

It is a concern that even today with the amount of technology we have, there is an unacceptable amount of fatalities,” said President Doug Fessenden, vice president of UAW Local 1243 in Whitehall, Mich.

Delegates also debated a resolution on “Social Responsibility.” The resolution, which encourages members to give back to their communities by working closely with schools, also addresses enhanced recycling programs and creating opportunities for workers to run for office and serve in elected or appointed government positions without losing seniority or accrued service credits.

“The UAW has always been in activities that impact the lives of everyone, not just UAW members,” said Russ Boivin of Local 566 in Menominee, Mich. “It is important for us to exercise our right to vote and to help those who have difficulty getting to the polls.”