USW Local 1478 continues to work together with management to drive TOP.

United Steelworkers (USW) Local Union 4-1478, which represents members at Essity, a paper company in Glens Falls, N.Y., continues to work together with management to drive a newly-instituted health and safety program.

The site agreed on the union-led, company-supported Triangle of Prevention (TOP) program in 2020 in order to assist in finding and addressing hazards, unsafe conditions and failed safety systems which cause workplace injury and illness.

Despite the pandemic, the labor-management team continued to drive TOP at their site and with USW Tony Mazzocchi Center (TMC) staff, kicked off a virtual “site rollout.” Newly elected TOP representatives, local union leadership and a key management team met via Zoom to discuss topics surrounding hazards, investigations and what is needed at their site.

The team was able to complete an in-person rollout and investigator training from June 21-25, 2021 at the facility in Glens Falls. TOP Coordinator Steve Doherty from the TMC, and TOP Representative Lori Aldridge-Smith of USW Local Union 9-1535, traveled to facilitate the training and work one-on-one with the site, following social distancing and other protocols. Aldridge-Smith is also a member of the TOP adviser team, a group of elected officials who help to strengthen the program, and works at Essity in Barton, Ala.

“The facility has new local and plant leadership who are committing their efforts to the safety of the facility and the participation from all employees,” said Doherty. “I’m looking forward to what this site can accomplish together.”

Lee Gosselin, TOP representative alternate at the site said that he is “looking forward to building on the foundation that we’ve built.”

Photo credit: Steve Doherty