2007 CWA District 7 Occupational Safety and Health Retreat
On September 14-15, 2007, the CWA District 7 Occupational Safety and Health Retreat was conducted. Organized and conducted by the District 7 Headquarters office and the Union's Occupational Safety and Health Department, the retreat was hosted by CWA Local 7777, Denver, Colorado. The retreat was held for primary purposes of bring local OSH activists together to:
- Discuss, coordinate, and develop tactics and strategies targeting the identification, prevention, and/or resolution of member workplace safety and health hazards and related injuries, illnesses, and fatalities,
- Share information on successes and failures, and
- Establish and further communication and networking between and among national, district, and local OSH activists.
Thirty-seven (37) OSH activists representing 23 District 7 locals, District 7 Headquarters (Vice President Annie Hill and CWA Representative Joe Petersen) and field Staff (CWA Representative Mary Taylor), as well as CWA Headquarters (David LeGrande). Of these, excellent and thought provoking presentations were given on the targeted issues including:
- The Employee Free Choice Act and its relationship to workplace safety and health;
- Electrical hazards within the telecommunications industry;
- Workplace violence within the telecommunications and commercial driver/taxi cab industries;
- Using the Washington Heat Stress Standard to provide improved member working conditions;
- Identifying chemical hazards and resolving related health problems;
- Workplace hazards and methamphetamine labs;
- Radiofrequency radiation hazards;
- Collaborating with a resource organization to help identify and prevent workplace safety and health problems: the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE);
- Using joint and union occupational safety and health committees to identify and resolve safety and health concerns; and
- Developing occupational safety and health education and training activities and programs.
Retreat highlights included presentations by Andy Anderson, CWA Local 7200; Abdi Buni, ProTAXI- a Division of CWA Local 7777; Dennis Garrett, CWA Local 7804; Chuck Mitchell, CWA Local 7790; Norman Norvelle, CWA Local 7076, Annie Hill, Vice President, CWA District 7; Joe Petersen, CWA Representative; and David LeGrande.
The District retreat successfully achieved its primary objectives, i.e., to identify local union needs, develop and continue the use of ongoing safety and health networks, and coordinate safety and health projects with the Union's leaders and safety and health activists. These goals were achieved through the delivery of nine presentations by selected OSH activists as well as follow-up discussions involving all retreat participants. Presentations targeted real-life, day-to-day activities of CWA leaders, members, and OSH activists.
Thanks to all who participated and made the retreat a great success!
2007 CWA District 7 Occupational Safety and Health Retreat Participants
- Terry Wich, CWA Local 7019
- John Rodriguez, CWA Local 7037
- Norman Norvelle, CWA Local 7076
- Dan Secrist, CWA Local 7076
- Joie Welsh, CWA Local 7101
- Don Dawson, CWA Local 7102
- Jerry Uhlman, CWA Local 7102
- Andy Anderson, CWA Local 7200
- Nance Ballman, CWA Local 7201
- Michele Nelson, CWA Local 7272
- Bill McAleer, CWA Local 7400
- Kristy Zuraff, CWA Local 7500
- Dustin O'Brien, CWA Local 7601
- Tony Barton, CWA Local 7603
- Ryan Packer, CWA Local 7621
- Carolyn Martinez, CWA Local 7702
- Martha Van Driel, CWA Local 7707
- Mike Burns, CWA Local 7708
- Casey Goddard, CWA Local 7717
- Lisa Bolton, CWA Local 7777
- Abdi Buni, ProTAXI- a division of CWA Local 7777
- Ellery Garner, CWA Local 7777
- Solomon Juarez, CWA Local 7777
- Dale Feller, CWA Local 7777
- Brynn McKenna, CWA Local 7777
- Susie Miller, CWA Local 7777
- Polly Peixoto, CWA Local 7777
- Chris Washburn, CWA Local 7777
- Chuck Mitchell, CWA Local 7790
- Dennis Garrett, CWA Local 7804
- Laurie Gonce, CWA Local 7804
- Scott Payment, CWA Local 7901
- Ken Valeo, CWA Local 14708
- Annie Hill, Vice President, CWA District 7
- Joe Petersen, CWA Representative
- Mary Taylor, CWA Representative
- David LeGrande, CWA Occupational Safety and Health Director
