IP workers meet for safety and health conference

The union’s first joint IP health & safety conference recently took place in Birmingham, Ala. Members had a chance to discuss the hazards in their workplace and develop strategies to address the problems.

The conference had a union-only session on Sept. 16 and a joint labor/management session on Sept. 17. 76 USW local union officers attended, as well as health and safety representatives from IP’s 14 mills.

Workers voiced concerns over long hours that cause fatigue on the job, the push for production and needed training. Strategies were discussed to address these problems, such as effective H&S committees, prioritize safety issues and getting
management to address them.

Union members also discussed the strengths and limitations of current health & safety committee structures, health & safety victories, long-standing unresolved issues, worksite health and safety programs and plans for the future. During the joint session, labor and management from each mill discussed problems, what is happening that is good and what H&S programs should be started. A follow-up meeting is scheduled in 18 months to report on the progress in identified areas.

Stan Benton, Local 1803 in Augusta, Ga., said of the meeting, “This program helped people from our mill learn about the common problems in all the mills that we can work on together.”