Labor Organizations
Why Should Labor Organizations Respond to HIV/AIDS?
One of the most important ways to stop the spread of HIV is through education. Labor organizations have an important role to play in this effort. HIV is not the first tough issue labor organizations have had to face, and it will not be the last. Just as labor organizations have confronted other issues in the past, labor organization members can use the same problem-solving skills to respond to HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS is an important labor organization issue for many reasons:
- Some labor organization members have HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) or AIDS, or are perceived to have HIV or AIDS. These members need to know that their right to work with dignity and without discrimination will be protected by their labor organization. They also need to know that they may have rights to job accommodations and to certain types of medical leave. The labor organization can educate its members about protection from discrimination by teaching them how to write and gain support for antidiscrimination contract language. The labor organization can also train its members about protection for workers with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) or, for Federal Government workers, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
- labor organizations represent workers who may be at risk of exposure to blood on the job. This exposure may put workers at risk to several bloodborne diseases, including HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
- labor organizations can play a strong role in making sure that workers receive adequate training on how to prevent exposure to HIV at work, and labor organizations can also help ensure that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Bloodborne Pathogens Standard is enforced in the workplace.
What can labor organization members do to prevent HIV on the job and in their communities?
Labor organization members can have tremendous impact on the job and in their communities in schools, religious communities, and the organizations that serve people living with HIV and AIDS. While on the job, encourage the labor organization and management to:
- Develop an HIV/AIDS workplace program. Labor, along with management, has developed effective HIV/AIDS workplace programs. For more information on how your workplace can develop a similar joint labor-management program, see the Labor Sector resources or the Workplace Policy Builder Tool.
- Support the development of an HIV/AIDS workplace policy. For more information, see the Labor Sector resources.
- Develop workplace training and education. This includes educating labor organization leaders, workers, managers, and families
- Participate in World AIDS Day (December 1) or other events.
- Write articles about why HIV is a labor organization issue. They can submit their articles to labor organization newsletters and labor organization papers, as well as their local newspapers.
- Make a quilt panel for labor organization members who have died from AIDS or display part of the AIDS Memorial Quilt at their next labor organization function. For more information on developing a quilt panel or displaying the AIDS Memorial Quilt, call the Names Project Foundation, listed in the Resource section.
- Investigate ways in which they can formulate a resolution addressing the development of an HIV/AIDS program at the next labor organization convention.
The local labor organization can support HIV and AIDS prevention efforts in the community. Two of the most important things that labor organizations have done and can continue to do are to:
- Raise funds. Local labor organizations have a long and proud track record of raising money for worthy community causes. Labor organizations historically have also raised funds for families on strike or for members who have lost their homes in a flood or a fire. Raising funds for community-based organizations that serve people with HIV and AIDS is no different. And local organizations serving people with HIV and AIDS always need funds.
- Volunteer with local organizations. Community organizations always need volunteers. Organizations need drivers, cooks, buddies, people to help care for pets, housekeepers, errand-runners, people to help fill out paperwork, speakers, etc. An hour each week or a few hours per month can make a tremendous difference!
Learn more about HIV & AIDS laws and policies.
