The Service Employees International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC, represents 1,000,000 workers in 300 local unions. 525,000 members work for federal, state, and local governments. SEIU is the nation's largest union of healthcare (400K) and building service (175K) workers, and represents workers in a many other occupations. Thousands of SEIU members are exposed to hazardous materials and wastes in emergencies. SEIU proposes to address these exposures by building upon the work of the NIEHS-funded SEIU Hazardous Materials Project. SEIU proposes to continue to conduct 8-hour awareness level and 24-hour operations level training programs for highway maintenance workers and sewage and water treatment plant workers. SEIU proposes to expand the target population to include health care and laboratory workers and to develop and implement 8-hour awareness level and 24-hour operations level training programs for this population. Over the three years, SEIU proposes to train a total of 1,400 workers in operations level programs, 4,200 workers in awareness level programs, and to develop a network of 40 Worker-Trainers who will have the ability to deliver these programs. The Worker-Trainer program will greatly assist SEIU's efforts to institutionalize the program after grant funds expire. SEIU will continue to work extensively with other NIEHS grantees on a consulting basis in developing curricula and conducting training. SEIU has demonstrated access to the target populations. SEIU has trained over 20,000 workers over the past 5 years in a variety of programs. SEIU has negotiated an agreement with the New Hampshire DOT to train over 1,100 NH-DOT workers in awareness level programs, and 75 more in operations level programs using Worker-Trainers. SEIU and The New England Consortium have agreed to develop a joint program to train these workers. SEIU has qualified, competent staff in the area of hazardous materials, and proposes to add one staff person to coordinate training programs in the eastern portion of the country.
| Lippin, T M; Eckman, A; Calkin, K R et al. (2000) Empowerment-based health and safety training: evidence of workplace change from four industrial sectors. Am J Ind Med 38:697-706 |
