David James, Local 223
“I’m a substation operator by trade, which often places me in very dangerous situations. With proper training and adherence to our safety policies, I’m able to perform my work without incident. One of the greatest strengths of my local’s contract is itslanguage establishing safety committees. This structure ensures that our entire workforce has a voice in shaping our safety culture. It includes Level 1 meetings, where field employees can raise concerns, all the way up to Level 4 meetings, where union officials meet directly with company executives.”
Barbara Yatauro, Local 393
“Our local believes that safety is everyone’s business, whether you are a field worker or office staff. To emphasize the importance of worker safety, we allocate time at each membership meeting for our safety chair to talk about all things safety. This time is also important because it gives each of our members the opportunity to ask questions or bring forward concerns that the union can address. Dedicating time for these conversations is making safety accessible to all members.”
Joshua Larabee, Local 103
“We pair junior and senior members to discuss safety topics that are most relevant to each crew room or work group. The junior member researches and presents the topic, while the senior member reinforces the message by making it more relatable and sharing how it applies based on their field experience. This approach engages everyone and fosters a sense of ownership over safety. The discussions that follow these brief presentations are invaluable.”
David Scott, Local 335
“We strive to keep safety at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Our peer-to-peer team includes members from every classification and all levels of experience. They conduct site visits to talk with members and listen to their safety concerns. Some of our members also participate in small safety groups within each job classification, working alongside management. But safety can also be as simple as reminding your coworkers to ‘be safe out there’ or asking if they have any safety concerns. I believe we all share a responsibility to keep each other safe at work.”