Engaging young union members in occupational health and safety

The United Steelworkers (USW) is the largest industrial union in North America and has 850,000 members in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. It represents workers employed in a variety of industries including metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining, atomic energy and the service sector. With an aging worker population, union worker health and safety programs must engage younger workers to carry on the movement of protecting worker health and safety. The USW held a two-day health and safety training for members of the United Steelworkers Next Generation committee of members under thirty-five years old. Following the training, the group participated in a focus group to identify barriers and opportunities for young union members to get involved in health and safety activities at their workplace, in the union, and in the larger occupational safety and health community. This session will describe the barriers that prevent young workers from becoming health and safety activists including lack of access to information, attitudes of older workers, training materials and methods that are not interesting for young people, and a need to see other young workers as activists. This presentation will also discuss methods to overcome those barriers.