We recently held our kick off for the renewal of SEIU-West committees. Each committee had discussions about improvements to worker safety and how this goal might fit into 
their future work. Worker safety has been a regular theme this year for the work done within SEIU-West.
When you think about it, so much of our work flows to and from worker safety: educating and mobilizing around the three rights (the Right to Know; the Right to Participate; the Right to Refuse); building knowledge and skills with young workers, new Canadians, and more seasoned staff; providing awareness about avenues to become involved and active within the scope of workplace safety; and combating racism, discrimination and stereotypes that affect the emotional and mental wellbeing of all of our members.
The committees have been tasked with how they will incorporate worker safety into their work over the next two years. And I’m excited to see the innovative ways that they reach out to build our membership with that goal in mind. Our committees are:
- Aboriginal
- Education
- Member Organizing
- Nursing Care
- Political Action & Awareness
- Retirees
- Worker Safety
- Workers of Colour
- Young Workers
These committees are comprised of members from every sector we represent: industrial and allied, education, community-based organizations, retirement homes, and health care. We want to ensure that our members have opportunities to engage with and help lead our union. We should also be looking at how we build a wider movement to encompass people whose principles and beliefs align with ours.
This is the work of our union beyond bargaining, grievances and arbitration…it builds on our vision of a more just and humane society. Each one of our committees has brought forward something unique: great opportunities, radical ideas, strong advocacy, and solid history…I look forward to seeing what they accomplish over the next two years.