NCJ Number
193130
Date Published
2002
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This chapter describes the efforts of employee unions in Canada to assist in preventing and responding to workplace violence.
Abstract
One of the union efforts in this endeavor has been to encourage Workers' Compensation Boards in each Canadian Province to begin categorizing incidents of violence in a more consistent manner, so that statistics will provide a more accurate indication of the true nature and extent of the problem. Canada's trade unions have also offered suggestions for preventing violence in the workplace. This includes recommendations for the design and implementation of a comprehensive violence-prevention program that defines violence; recognizes violence as an occupational hazard; has a mechanism to report violence; involves the joint union-management occupational health and safety committee; provides information to workers about the potential for violence; provides training in appropriate responses to violence; recognizes the importance of workplace design and work organization; and provides support for affected workers. The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), which represents two and one-half million workers, is coordinating Federal efforts to ensure that legislative protection from violence for Federal-sector workers becomes law. The CLC 19th Constitutional Convention also recommended that mandatory training for health and safety representatives and committee members be provided; specific training content was included in the recommendation. Every major union in Canada is engaging its members in deliberations aimed at securing protections from the increasing risk of workplace violence. As consultation with employers and government progresses, so will union programs aimed at eliminating violence. 30 notes