Part 3 How do we organize to demand a safe workplace?

TRUE? or FALSE?

If your employer resists making changes to protect your health, there is nothing you can do.

True

This is incorrect. Options include building the case for addressing problems with your co-workers, reaching out to external allies, and filing an OSHA complaint. It isn't easy but sometimes this is what is needed to deal with conditions that threaten worker health and safety.

False

This is correct. Options include building the case for addressing problems with your co-workers, reaching out to external allies, and filing an OSHA complaint. It isn't easy but sometimes this is what is needed to deal with conditions that threaten worker health and safety.

Where to Start

Talk to your co-workers… Building trust is the basis for honest conversations about the most pressing problems in your workplace
Once you've identified the problems, form a committee or a small work group to develop a plan and schedule regular meetings.
With your work group, gather contact information from all the workers you can. Think about folks outside of your department too!
Choose a way to communicate outside of work: create a group in Signal, Slack, WhatsApp, or Facebook. Make sure to make it private so workers can strategize without management interference.

What to Discuss

The facts about COVID-19: It’s much easier to take action when we have a shared understanding of the problem. What is COVID-19? How can someone get infected? What prevention measures are being used?
Your workplace risks: Where are the risks in the different spaces? Where do people work in close proximity? (For example, the entrance, front of the house, back of the house, breakroom, administrative offices). Do people consistently wear well-fitting masks covering both mouth and nose? Is there good ventilation with outside air circulating?
What has happened so far: Some employers may say “The workers caught COVID-19 elsewhere.” Have workers gotten sick? How many? When? Maintain a timeline that records everything that has happened.
Rank/vulnerability within your team: Who is most afraid (and likely) to be fired if management retaliates? Who in management has power to make decisions? Who influences them? What leverage do workers have to challenge the boss? What does management need from workers? How do workers line up for or against supporting challenges to management?
Decide together how to best achieve your goals based on your analysis of all of these factors.

The next step is to meet with your employer, explaining what is needed to reduce the spread of COVID infections, and the employer’s legal obligations to implement these measures. If your employer is resistant, further pressure may be needed.

What can you do if your employer will not take action to keep you safe?

Reach out to allies including your worker center or union, or a member of the NJ Protecting Workers Coalition for advice and support in filing a formal complaint and/or putting pressure on your employer.
File a complaint with OSHA

These options are not a matter of choosing one goal or approach over another – in fact your committee or working group may want to seek support from outside worker advocates as you begin to talk with co-workers and analyze your situation. They can offer training, expertise about COVID-19 and other health and safety issues, and help you decide how to move forward. Consult with coalition members listed below:

- CATA - El Comite de Apoyo a Los Trabajadores Agricolas (The Farm Worker Support Committee)
- Laundry Workers Center
- Make the Road NJ
- Migrante
- New Labor
- Newark Water Coalition
- NJ Communities United
- NJ 21 United
- NJ Work Environment Council
- Unidad Latina en Acción
- 32BJ SEIU
- United for Respect
- Wind of the Spirit

Sources

https://nationalcosh.org/COVID-19_Rights_and_Strategies#two

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