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Let’s have a true
L/M partnership by Local 18 President Frank Miramontes In February we attended a conference in Orlando, Florida about labor and management working together in the utility industry. It was heartening that several top DWP managers also attended the conference where we are all exposed to the cutting edge concepts of joint L/M participation that are transforming our industry. One after another we heard case studies that show how effective this approach is, and how much it improves all aspects of utility operation, including the bottom line. And management seems to be on board...saying “amen” to all the right verses and giving lip service to the concept of true labor-management partnership. But then we get back to LA and we find that all too often, management is undercutting the labor/management process by ignoring the committees when they should be consulted or by hiring outside consultants to duplicate the proper work of the committees. We sat down with Freeman for a heart-to-heart talk, and we seem to be back on the right track, for now at least. They have agreed to regular meetings between Local 18 and upper management to focus on safety issues. Also, I’m optimistic that our proposal for Joint Safety Institute is about to be adopted. We need to push forward with the Training Institute as well. When they are run together, training and safety should complement each other. We need a focused establishment to keep them in mind and to have an institutional responsibility to ensure adequate attention is always paid to these vital areas.. Meanwhile, the Safety Worker Group training is progressing and SWGs are already beginning to operate in many units. This approach to safety is very promising and the training is thoughtful and attentive. A new module on Accident Prevention and Investigation is about to be inaugurated. This program should bring safety awareness to the front line, where it belongs. We need a Department-wide commitment to bring the injury rate down. |