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Joint Safety and Health Committees
For Show or For Real?

An effective joint committee is not a committee set up by management merely to post safety slogans and urge workers to be more careful on the job.

In a real joint committee, labor and management meet as equals with the goal of eliminating unsafe conditions.

A joint committee is more likely to be effective if:

• There are an equal number of union and management members, with a co-chairperson chosen by each side.
• The union has the right to choose its own committee members.
• The committee meets at least once a month and whenever either side feels it's necessary.
• Either side may place health and safety matters on the agenda for com­mittee meetings.
• Before each meeting, the com­mittee makes inspections to look at new problems and check on progress made since the last meeting.
• The union has copies of all infor­mation related to safety and health that the company has.
• All proposed changes in the work­place are discussed by the committee enough ahead of time that the com­mittee can make recommendations concerning the possible effect on safe­ty and health.
• Union members keep their own records of what is said at committee meetings.
• The official minutes of meetings are approved by the union.
• Committee members can make inspections of workplaces and promptly investigate all accidents and near misses.
• Committee members receive their normal pay while doing committee business.
• Committee members have the right to shut down dangerous opera­tions until the hazard can be corrected.

Courtesy of TheWorkSite.org.