Building a National Network of Health and Safety Activists through Training and Policy Advocacy

The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) supports a network of health and safety activists throughout the country that engages and gives voice to local work addressing the need of vulnerable and low-wage immigrant workers. In the United States, immigrant workers constitute a significant proportion of the workforce and unfortunately also suffer a disproportionate high level of workplace injuries and fatalities. To address this, National COSH has designed local training programs that develop worker leadership enabling them to use tools to identify hazardous working condition, control them, and support policy for action that supports stronger enforcement of OSH laws and regulations. This session will present a national network model that successfully develops and implements worker training that leads to action planning and policy advocacy by newly empowered OSH activists. The session will provide an opportunity for discussion among participants to share experiences of organizational or network models that develop worker leaders, create training for action, and advance policy advocacy, such as worker committees, coalition building, and partnerships.