[caption id="attachment_2783" align="alignleft" width="148"]Bernice Troy[/caption]

The Maryland Safe Care Initiative, which is active in getting workplace violence prevention legislation passed in the state, recently posted an article to their campaign's website about an SEIU member who went about setting up a Health and Safety Committee at the facility where she works.  Take a look at the article, below, and please write in if you'd like to explore ways of doing the same thing where you work.

Since testifying about the need for a voice for front-line caregivers in workplace violence prevention and planning, Bernice Troy, GNA discovered that her union contract at Genesis – Caton Manor contained language for a Health & Safety Committee in her workplace to help address her concerns.

She then went to a Labor-Management meeting in her shop and raised the issue of the Health & Safety Committee, which was at the time only addressing “Fire and Emergency” situations, rather than the ongoing problem of workplace violence that all caregivers have faced – especially those in long-term care settings.

Now Ms. Troy is a member of the Health & Safety Committee in her shop and will be bringing issues that affect front-line workers to the committee, including workplace violence prevention.

“I’m hoping to focus the committee’s work on the real issues in the shop and to help improve care and safety,” explained Ms. Troy. “I think this is going to improve things a lot. We’re going to be able to prevent workers from getting hurt, and it’s going to make things better for residents too.”

She urges all of her fellow 1199SEIU members to get involved, talk with their delegates and become be a part of a workplace committee. She’ll also continue her fight, along with others, in Annapolis to pass a bill to protect all of Maryland’s healthcare workers.