Labor-Management Cooperation in Illinois: How a Joint Union Company Team Is Improving Facility Safety

Abstract

This study of Afton Chemical Corporation's Sauget facility and its International Chemical Workers Union Council (ICWUC) Local 871C demonstrates how significant safety improvements can be made when committed leadership from both management and union work together, build trust, train the entire work force in U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration 10-hour classes, and communicate with their work force, both salaried and hourly. A key finding is that listening to the workers closest to production can lead to solutions, many of them more cost-efficient than top-down decision-making. Another is that making safety and health an authentic value is hard work, requiring time, money, and commitment. Third, union and management must both have leadership willing to take chances and learn to trust one another. Fourth, training must be for everyone and ongoing. Finally, health and safety improvements require dedicated funding. The result was resolution of more than one hundred safety concerns and an ongoing institutionalized process for continuing improvement.

Peer Trainers Are Change Agents as Well as Instructors: Promoting Safety and Health in the Workplace

“…Two other ICWUC studies reported success in systematically addressing worksite hazards after joint labor management programs trained the entire workforce in OSHA classes assisted by site trainers (Mahan et al, 2014 andMahan et al, 2018). This paper moves a step beyond to explore increased learning and activism from the continuing presence of a group of worker trainers on the shop floor, building an increasing infrastructure for making safety and health integral to daily activities.…”

Worker Trainers as Workplace Experts: How Worker Trainers Enhance Safety and Health at Department of Energy Facilities

“…The first two examined pre- and posttraining activities by class participants (Becker and Morawetz 2004, 63-70; McQuiston 2000, 584-597). The latter two (Mahan et al 2018, 227-239; Mahan et al 2013, 561-576) discuss the importance of facility-wide OSHA ten-hour training with local authorized trainers. While ultimately the responsibility for safe and healthful work places is with the employer, active and educated workers help to improve the work environment, these studies all found that after training, workers are more active participants in improving their health and safety, are more willing to attempt to change worksite conditions following training, and their efficacy at making changes is substantially greater than before they were trained.…”