LAKE PLACID — Hundreds of CSEA leaders and activists recently attended our union’s Statewide Conference on Occupational Safety and Health.
Throughout the biennial, three-day conference, members participated in 35 workshops all designed to increase their knowledge on workplace safety so they can better ensure employers keep workers safe on the job.
Standing, from left, Staten Island Developmental
Center Local President Jeanette Mitchell, CSEA
Statewide Treasurer Nicole Meeks, CSEA Long
Island Region President Jarvis Brown and CSEA
Director of Organizing Aminata Stephens. Seated
is CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan.
CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan praised attendees for their dedication to workplace safety and health.
“You have made a commitment to protecting our rights to safer and healthier workplaces. You are all so much more than just dedicated leaders in CSEA. You’re also dedicated safety and health activists, which means in some cases you’re the line between life and death,” said Sullivan. “When dangers become present in the workplace, you’re the first line of defense. Even before that happens, you’re advocating for policies and procedural changes to make things safer with the goal of prevention.”
Conference programs included topics such as work zone awareness, communicable disease resiliency, worker stress and burnout and workplace violence prevention. Along with the latest information on safety topics, the workshops focused on workplace organizing and engagement, best practices for safety and health committees and training for activists.
Our union’s Standing Committee on Occupational Safety and Health worked closely with CSEA’s Occupational Safety and Health Department on planning the conference and programs.
Standing Safety and Health Committee Chair Tom Skabry
(right photo) discuss tree trimming and logging safety at a workshop.
Standing Committee on Occupational Safety and Health Chair Tom Skabry and Sullivan praised OSH staff for its efforts.
“CSEA has always taken safety and health very seriously. CSEA has an amazing group of dedicated safety and health professionals on staff. The CSEA OSH department is larger than many International unions have,” said Skabry. “CSEA staff are the experts in safety and health practices and skills. They are critical to our mission of fighting for safer and healthier workplaces.”
“I extend my appreciation and gratitude to the members of our Standing Committee on Safety and Health and the staff in the Occupational Safety and Health Department for all of the hard work they have put forth in order to make this an impactful and engaging conference,” said Sullivan.
Sullivan also presented Central Region Treasurer Amy Simmons our union’s William L. McGowan Award for Occupational Safety and Health.
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- Capital Region President Shana Davis welcomes attendees at the opening session.
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- Attendees learn about successful labor-management strategies.
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- Standing Safety and Health Committee members celebrate a successful conference. Back row, from left, Committee members Tom McDonough, Phillip Collier, Thomas Hingher, Committee Chair Tom Skabry and Committee member John LeFebvre. Front row, from left, are Committee members Victor Mendoza, Lynne Gamache and Deborah Hanna.
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- Standing Safety and Health Committee member Phillip Collier addresses conference attendees.
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- Standing Safety and Health Committee Member John LeFebvre discusses tree trimming and logging safety at a workshop.
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- Standing Safety and Health Committee Chair Tom Skabry discusses tree trimming and logging safety at a workshop.
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- Oswego County Cooperative White Collar Unit member Andre Nichols, right, talks with other members during a session.
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- Standing, from left, Staten Island Developmental Center Local President Jeanette Mitchell, CSEA Statewide Treasurer Nicole Meeks, CSEA Long Island Region President Jarvis Brown and CSEA Director of Organizing Aminata Stephens. Seated is CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan.
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- From left, CSEA Executive Vice President Ron Briggs and Western Region President Steve Healy.
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- From left, State Department of Motor Vehicle (NYC) Unit Secretary Ashley Holt, Bronx Psychiatric Center Local 2nd Vice President Clair Hurst and Bronx Psychiatric Center Local President Jackie Evans get important workplace safety training.
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- From left, Herkimer County Local Vice President Cynthia Otrupcak, Local President Diana Toher and Local Recording Secretary Lorraine Rumrill attend a conference plenary session.
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- Employees Retirement System Local activist Janine Patschureck helps distribute training materials at a workshop on work zone safety.
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- From left, Clinton County Unit members Lizabeth Allen and Alysa Sorrell discuss workplace safety issues.
