APWU Representatives Meet to Discuss Safety Issues

APWU Regional Safety and Health Representatives, Regional Coordinators, and National Officers responsible for the flow of workplace safety programs recently met over two days at headquarters, where they discussed APWU’s Stand Up for Safe Jobs campaign and prepared to go into the field to present training on the campaign, and safety in general.

Each APWU region has at least one member in the field, a Safety and Health Representative, who is appointed to help states and locals with safety issues that affect workers.

“These area safety representatives are dedicated to safety in the workplace,” said Industrial Relations Director Vance Zimmerman. “They are trained - and OSHA certified - in a variety of safety topics, and are experienced with dealing with the Postal Service in safety related matters. Locals should not hesitate to contact them with any safety related questions they have.”

In Fiscal Year 2018, across all crafts, there were 42,749 postal employees who reported and had claims for injury or occupational disease accepted. The Postal Service once again is the most dangerous place to work in the U.S. Government. (Bureau of Labor Statistics Data) 

“Every employee has the right to go to work in a safe environment and return home to their families at the end of the day uninjured,” said President Mark Dimondstein. “Although management is ultimately responsible for a safe work environment and ensuring the employees are not hurt, the employees can and should organize and together demand their right to a safe work environment.”

Any state organization who would like to have a Regional Coordinator and Regional Safety Representative come in and provide training to a state meeting or convention can request this through their Regional Coordinator. They are eager to help all members Stand Up for Safe Jobs.