Service to Members

In the areas of health, safety, environment, and workers' compensation we serve:

auto, truck, and bus assembly workers, parts plant workers, rail workers, aerospace workers, telecommunications workers, electronics assembly workers, foundry workers, fish plant workers, airline workers, office workers, retail store workers, miners, fishers, drivers, and hotel and restaurant workers ... in short, the entire CAW membership.

Leadership

Our local and workplace leaders are strong, committed, knowledgeable and active trade unionists.

Our national union provides education, information and assistance designed to ensure that local and workplace representatives and activists are effective in the following areas:

• health and safety

• workers' compensation

• environment

When knowledge and skill are increased at the workplace and local level, the base of union support is strengthened.

Education, Training, and Conferences

Interested CAW members have access to a wide variety of courses to help them become knowledgeable.

These include one week leadership courses on health and safety, workers' compensation, and the environment at our CAW Family Education Centre through our Paid Education Leave program. We also offer weekend courses in these areas for rank and file members in your community.

Our courses are taught by our Local Union Discussion Leaders. These rank and file activists embody our principle of trade union education, workers teaching workers.

Together with the Canadian Labour Congress, Federations of Labour and organizations such as the Ontario Workers Health and Safety Centre, we offer an additional wide variety of educational and training opportunities.

Conferences keep your union representatives up to date on current issues and enthusiastic as they share their experiences with other CAW activists.

We also help to develop courses suitable for everyone in a workplace such as two day courses on chemical hazards in your workplace.

Your Contract with Your Employer

We have model contract language to assist in bargaining rights for workers at your workplace in your collective agreement. This wording puts into language, rights you are guaranteed by law but which in some provinces are not enforced. As well, it extends and improves upon existing rights.

These rights include the right to know about workplace hazards, the right to participate in joint health, safety and environment committees and the right to refuse hazardous work. It also includes the right of workers with disabilities to return to their jobs.

This model contract language alerts your entire membership to these important rights and extends and improves upon the basic rights you have by law.

Time for Your Duties

An important principle we have established in many of our collective agreements is time off the job so that your union health and safety, workers' compensation and environmental representatives have time to represent you properly. These people are chosen by the union but their time is paid for by the employer.

In larger workplaces it is common to have full time positions in these areas of responsibility. In smaller workplaces, union reps can fulfill their duties in a few hours per week.

In corporations such as General motors, Canadian National Railway, and Air Canada, where we represent thousands of members in a number of different workplaces, we have been able to bargain National Health and Safety Coordinators to coordinate our health and safety activities within the corporation as a whole. These again are chosen by the union but paid for by the employer.

Improving Laws

Our national union staff often serve on advisory committees to governments and administrative bodies putting forward the CAW's position to improve health and safety, environmental, and workers' compensation laws and policies. We write briefs and appear before government and administrative hearings. We lobby publicly in the media.

Our efforts have been effective from British Columbia to Atlantic Canada, from Windsor to Yellowknife. When we bargain better laws, policies, and enforcement, you health and safety and the environment are better protected.

Publications

The CAW publishes a variety of material. You can subscribe to our CAW Health, Safety and Environment Newsletter, published four times a year by sending in your name, address, local number, and workplace to the national union.

You can obtain publications such as our brochures on back injuries, repetitive strain injuries and ergonomics. You can order our 44 page CAW Ergonomics in the Work Environment, A Manual for Workers. Cards outlining your right to refuse hazardous work are available too as are posters and buttons. CAW Health and Safety Fact Sheets are available on a wide variety of topics.

For further information or publication

Write, telephone, or fax:

CAW Health and Safety Department
205 Placer Court
North York, Willowdale
Ontario, M2H 3H9
tel: (416)495-6558 or 1-800-268-5763
fax: (416)495-6554

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