Emergency Response Team News
The Best of Us: Emergency Response Team Helps Workers, Families After Devastating Events
The USW’s Emergency Response Team hotline is available 24 hours a day to respond to fatal or life-altering incidents involving USW members, at 866-526-3480.
USW@Work: Volume 18, Issue 1
In this issue: USW’s college professors fight for better universities for faculty, students; member-driven organizing effort already delivering wins; ERT helps workers, families after devastating events; and more.
USW@Work: Volume 15, Issue 1
In this issue: Workers ratify a new contract at packaging giant WestRock; an organizing up date from Proterra in California; Rapid Response activists lobbied Congress for legislation to preserve endangered pension funds; the latest on trade; and more.
USW@Work: Volume 14, Issue 4
In this issue: Local 132 members at Spring City Electrical Manufacturing produce ornate cast iron lamp posts for big cities, small towns, college campuses and theme parks; new contracts in aluminum and tire; the latest in our trade fights; and more.
Negative Coping Actions
Negative coping actions increase problems. These are short-term solutions that will later become detrimental and hard to change, and include isolation, workaholism, violent behavior, unhealthy eating, smoking, and alcohol and drug use.
Recognizing and Dealing with Traumatic Stress Reactions
To deal with distressing memories, images, or thoughts, you must remind yourself that they are just memories, remind yourself that it is natural to have some memories of the traumatic event ... more
Positive Lifestyle Changes to Coping
Positive Coping Actions
Coping with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
It is important to learn how to cope since recovery is an ongoing process. Recovery doesn't mean the ability to forget tough experiences but the ability to effectively manage trauma-related memories, reactions, and emotions.
Symptoms to Watch for with Trauma Victims
Some physical reactions to watch for are: problems eating/upset stomach, trouble sleeping, exhaustion, increased heart rate/breathing, headaches, cold sweats ... more
Common Responses To Trauma
Everyone experiences stress. It's a normal reaction to a traumatic event. But relentless stress can drain body and mind.
What is Emergency Response Team
Typically, emergencies that cost a life or result in life-altering injuries are reported to an ERT hotline, 866-526-3480, by a local union president or staff representative.