With all the confusion and uncertainty surrounding the outbreak of a global pandemic, we are all on a heightened state of alert as we deal with all the questions and potential risks of exposure. Simply put, health and safety are certainly at the forefront of everyone’s minds right now. That’s why I’m proud to acknowledge how advanced our union is when it comes to worker safety and health.
Many unions don’t have their own experts in those fields, but we do, with our staff professionals in CSEA’s Occupational Safety and Health Department, which as far as I’m concerned, is the best in the entire country. We have a dedicated staff of highly trained professionals, including four occupational safety and health specialists, an epidemiologist, an industrial hygienist and our peer trainer program coordinator. They know the laws, rules and regulations and have the specialized training to work with our leadership, activists, union staff and regulatory agencies to make sure our members are safer and healthier in their workplaces and regularly work to spread their safety knowledge, promote hazard awareness and prevention and train our activists to do the same. I also want to show my appreciation for all the dedicated member activists who serve on their unit, local or region safety committees, or as peer trainers, who are so passionate about advocating for safety and health in the workplace.
We are rightly proud of our Occupational Safety and Health Department. They have been at the forefront working with our entire union staff and officers to make sure that we offer the best and most accurate information as we deal with this never seen before public health crisis. They helped us develop our online coronavirus information page, full of links, information and resources that our members can use to get answers to their questions and keep updated on a situation that changes rapidly. We are swimming in uncharted waters here, but we should all feel better knowing we have these staff professionals and everyone who works for our union, who have our backs when it comes to dealing with this outbreak. We know we don’t have all the answers, but with their help we are working hard to get them for you.
Ironically, due to the threat posed by the outbreak, we were forced to indefinitely postpone our biggest safety and health event our union puts together every two years, our Statewide Conference on Occupational Safety and Health. We already had nearly 700 union activists registered to attend this always-popular event, but we knew with the current situation, we could not afford to put people at risk. This is unfortunate, but we will find a way to share our knowledge and expertise with those who would have attended.
In April, we recognize Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, and I want to commend our legislative leaders for considering the pending “Slow Act” legislation that CSEA wrote and introduced which would increase the penalties for intrusions into roadside work zones. CSEA supports any measures that would make our highway and transportation workers safer as they work in such challenging and dangerous conditions. We will continue to dedicate our resources to make our work zones safer.
At the end of the month, we will also remember those we’ve lost to workplace deaths as we join our brothers and sisters throughout the Labor Movement in observing Workers Memorial Day. See our coverage in this issue.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge and congratulate our union sister Jane Meunier, who serves as our Putnam County Local President, who I recently appointed as the first female chair of our Statewide Safety and Health Committee. Jane has served for years on this committee and I’m pleased to have her step up to this new role. I know she will bring a lot of expertise, enthusiasm and passion to this position, which will benefit all our members.
I urge you all to be safe, this month and always.
In solidarity,
Mary E. Sullivan, President
