Title: Recent Conference News

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Section/SPIG: Occupational Health and Safety

Issue Date:

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AFL-CIO’s Biannual National Safety and Health Conference in Detroit

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Nearly 450 rank-and-file safety and health activists gathered at the AFL-CIO’s biannual National Safety and Health Conference in Detroit, Dec. 7-10, 2003. Participants heard panelists discuss the state of worker safety and health on the local, national and global levels. Discussions ranged from the safety and health conditions for workers abroad to how to change working conditions for immigrant workers in the United States. Rank-and-filers discussed their success and struggles in using safety and health issues in organizing drives. Others talked about the programs at their workplaces that simply blame the worker for injuries and how to combat these programs and institute real safety and health programs that deal with the actual workplace hazards. Issues of homeland security, emergency preparedness and necessary information and tools for workers to be prepared were also discussed.

Participants heard from AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez Thompson, UAW President Ron Gettlefinger and local union leaders. Plenary panel discussions were followed by numerous workshops ranging in topic from Your Rights Under OSHA to Confronting Genetic Screening and Monitoring in the Workplace, from Incident Investigation, and Job Stress to Learning to be a Union Safety and Health Trainer. Participants also joined in a rally to support laundry workers who are trying to organize at Cintas.