When our union president, Jonathan Smith, asked us to focus on workplace safety for this issue, I will be honest, I did not realize just how deep this topic really goes. Like a lot of us, I usually think first about wages and benefits when it comes to union organizing. Safety matters, of course, but it is not always the first thing that comes to mind.
While I am aware of some significant historical events in which union organizing resulted from inadequate safety measures, I decided to dig deeper.
A lot of what we take for granted in the workplace, like having accessible fire exits, safety talks, protective gear, and even the ability to speak up when something does not feel right, did not just happen by chance. They came from workers who were put in bad situations and decided something needed to change.
Take the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fi re. Workers could not even leave the building because the doors were locked. Or the Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster, in which workers were exposed to deadly conditions without warning. Those events are why safety standards exist today. Situations like these are the kind of things that led to some of the protections we have now.
And it is not just history when workers have come together over safety concerns; you see and hear about it today. I think everyone knows about the horrifying work conditions at Amazon warehouses. But did you know workers at those facilities have been speaking up about safety, workloads, and what they are dealing with, trying to get through their shift without getting hurt. The same thing happens in health care. You have seen it in the news for years, where workers talk about staffing levels, having the right equipment, and being able to do their jobs without putting their own health at risk.
While we may work in different industries and situations, it all comes down to one thing: workers coming together because they want to be safe at work. Safety is one of the reasons unions exist today! Many of the protections we have today came from people before us who spoke up and stood together. And if we are not paying attention, if we are not willing to do the same, those protections will weaken or become obsolete.
At the end of the day, safety is not just a talking point to join your union. It is about making sure we all go home at the end of our shifts, in the same way we began our tour.
Organizing in Action Spotlight
One of the most important tools we have for organizing is something that we have already fought for and secured in our contract, union orientation.
Scott Adams, general president of the Portland Area Local (ME) and secretary for the Maine Postal Workers Union, recently shared a great example of why that time matters. During an orientation, a new employee asked if everyone has to join the union, and what power we re-ally have if we cannot strike. Scott took the time to walk through those questions and explain what collective power actually looks like.
By the end of the conversation, that same employee turned in her membership application and shared that she had been telling people not to join the union for the past 25 years. That changed in one conversation.
That is the impact of orientation! It is more than just pro-viding information; it is our opportunity to connect, answer real questions, and show the value of standing together.
The post Organizing for Safety first appeared on APWU.