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Pittsburgh Utility Workers Celebrate Accident-Free Year

January 19, 2012

2011 marked a major milestone for Pittsburgh Local 29 members employed by GenOn Energy. The more than 135 utility workers throughout the metro area worked the entire year without any recordable accidents and no lost work time.

Says Local 29 Business Manager Jeff Davis:

This is an outstanding accomplishment when one considers the amount of overtime that is worked each year, and the demanding work conditions.

Davis credits the employees’ remarkable safety record to a combined labor-management effort that made on-the-job safety a priority for both employees and supervisors.

GenOn management approached the local last year about setting up a joint union-management safety committee covering all three of its plants.

The group holds monthly meetings, in addition to regular conference calls, to give updates on workplace issues and discuss new safety techniques.

The company also flew in safety experts from across the country to meet with committee members.

Davis says key to the committee’s success was the involvement of the workers themselves.

He says:

It works because it wasn’t just the company preaching to the workers, but involves actual people from the shop floor in formulating safety policy and sharing it widely.

GenOn management agrees.

In a letter to Davis, GenOn Director of Labor Relations Anthony Gianatasio writes:

Your members’ active participation in the station safety committees … is undoubtedly a reflection of the commitment on the part of union leadership to the safety of its members. We look forward to a continued collaboration with union leadership, especially in the area of safety.

 While there is no official OSHA award for the accomplishment, Davis says:

A safe workplace is the greatest reward we can give ourselves and our families.

 

Photo used under a Creative Commons License from Flickr user calignosus