As part of the “Safe Jobs Save Lives” Southern California Worker Health and Safety Conference on July 12, SEIU 121RN Director of Health & Safety Richard Negri will co-facilitate a workshop on “Preventing Violence at Work.” This workshop is just the latest example of how our Union’s newly formed Health and Safety Department is making a name for itself across the state and country. A key portion of this particular workshop will focus on the 121RN Health and Safety Department’s current work with SEIU members statewide to develop a Cal/OSHA workplace violence prevention standard.

Workplace violence is the 4th leading cause of fatalities on the job in the U.S. And many more workers are injured or psychologically affected from violent acts, bullying, discrimination and other forms of harassment. This workshop will discuss how to organize workers to reduce the risk of violence at work;  explain employers’ roles and responsibilities in preventing workplace violence; and describe the new initiative to create a Cal/OSHA workplace violence prevention standard.

Sponsored by the LA Federation of Labor, the “Safe Jobs Save Lives” Health and Safety Conference will be a one-day conference that will show you how to integrate workplace health and safety into your campaigns — whether they be organizing, collective bargaining, or policy related.

Featured speakers include Maria Elena Durazo, Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the LA Fed, and Cal/OSHA Chief Ellen Widess. The event will be held at LA Trade Technical College and is co-sponsored by the UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program (UCLA-LOSH) and the Southern CA Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (SoCalCOSH).

Included in the day will be workshop sessions to help build skills so that unions can educate and involve workers to confront hazards like workplace violence, chemical hazards, heat illness, and ergonomics. Other workshop topics will include how to incorporate health and safety into organizing campaigns, contract negotiations, building effective committees, and working with Cal/OSHA effectively.

SEIU 121RN members, and especially member leaders, are encouraged to participate in this free conference!

Register today! Go to www.launionaflcio.org/safety to register, see workshop descriptions and a schedule for the day. Cost of attendance is free, but registration online is required. If you have additional questions, please e-mail Andrea Nicholls, Health and Safety Coordinator, at anicholls@launionaflcio.org.