Atomic Energy Workers Council maps strategies on health and safety, training programs at biannual meeting

United Steelworkers (USW) representatives from atomic sites across the United States strategized on a number of topics, including funding opportunities, health and safety, workforce training programs and more at the Atomic Energy Workers Council (AEWC) biannual meeting Sept. 14-15 in Arlington, Va.

USW International Vice President Roxanne Brown updated the council on current legislative and policy discussions relevant to the nuclear sector, including clean technology initiatives that present unique opportunities for job creation and development.

“The moment we’re in is opportunity-rich,” said Brown. “If we do this moment right, our union will be a union that goes into the future. This is the industrial revolution of our time.”

AEWC members met for their bi-annual meeting in the D.C. area this month.

Fire safety, funding main concerns

Council members had an opportunity to raise concerns from their worksites with the Department of Energy’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management William “Ike” White and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Avery, who visited the council on the second day of the AEWC meeting.

Members from USW Local 12-9477 at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, N.M., flagged health and safety concerns related to firefighter training and electric vehicle storage at the plant, and delivered to White and Avery a letter requesting a joint union-management audit of the WIPP site’s health and safety emergency response plan. 

The letter, signed by AEWC President Jim Key and Local 12-9477 President Jonathan Fuentes, reads in part, “The safety of USW members at WIPP is critically important, and we want to ensure that the emergency response aspect of the health and safety plan at WIPP meets the DOE expectations and regulations.”

Other health and safety concerns came from AEWC Vice President and Local 12-652 President Matt Chavez, employed at the Idaho National Lab, who spoke about the detrimental effects of funding uncertainty on his co-workers. 

“We’re concerned because we see the projected amount of funding is low, and it’s affecting our workforce,” said Chavez. “It’s hard keeping people focused on safety because they’re worried about if they’re going to have a job while waiting for funding to come in for these projects.”  

Nuclear worker training exceeds goals

Amidst these concerns, the meeting showcased the thriving progress of nuclear worker training programs under the purview of the United Steelworkers Tony Mazzocchi Center (USWTMC). Ashlee Fitch, the director of the USWTMC, and Fiona Galley, training coordinator for the USWTMC, presented updates on the successful training programs and pilot initiatives conducted for nuclear workers.

They held 411 courses provided to 6,890 students, far exceeding the initial goal of 291 courses to 4,742 students for the period between August 1, 2022, and July 31, 2023. 

The trainings included pilot programs such as HAZWOPER refresher and 40-hour courses and safety representative training. Additionally, the USWTMC offered crucial training in respiratory protection and other safety measures at the USW’s Health and Safety Conference in April 2023.

The USWTMC also celebrated the graduation of new Radiological Control Technician (RCT) cohorts at the Portsmouth, Ohio, site on Aug. 23 and in Paducah, Ky., on Sept. 26. Notably, the USW stands as the sole union authorized to offer RCT trainings. 

Graduates of the Local 1-689 radiation control technician training course stand with their certificates of completion in Portsmouth, Ohio.  

Spotlight on radiation and workers’ compensation 

The council meeting agenda also included an overview of the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) from Richard Miller, former House Education and Labor Committee staff, who presented a thorough history of the struggle to get workers’ compensation for radiation exposure to employees of nuclear facilities.

USW Local 689 President Herman Potter of Portsmouth said the work is far from over to expand protections for the health and safety of workers in the nuclear sector. 

“The bottom line is that we can’t stop fighting,” said Potter. 

Brown thanked the council for its hard work over the two-day meeting and reflected on the safety issues and hazards that many in the atomic industry face. 

“Every day the workers in this sector are putting your bodies on the line, and unfortunately, in many cases, you pay the consequences with your health. I have so much reverence and respect for you all, for what you do every single day,” said Brown. 

“On behalf of our union, thank you for what you do, because you’re not just doing this for the sites, but for the communities you live in.”

The atomic council will meet again in the spring of 2024.