On March 20, 2006, Local 369 Safety Committee member John Eagan participated in a town hall meeting sponsored by the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). NORA functions as the research component for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). One of NORA’s primary functions is to solicit federal funding to support research that will improve workplace health and safety. John spoke about the need for outside agency monitoring of internal company training programs to insure that these programs are teaching skills that will promote the highest level of safety in the work environment. John noted, “Since early 2006, Local 369’s Safety Committee has been involved in the development of improved craft training programs at NSar Gas and Electric, as well as in monitoring the overall effectiveness of these programs.”

Attending the NIOSH sponsored town meeting afforded John the opportunity to meet Nancy Lessin, Health and Safety Coordinator for the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. This has enabled the Safety Committee to form a partnership that greatly enhances its awareness and access to resources for addressing health and safety issues relevant to our Local. The Safety Committee hopes to continue its involvement with NIOSH/NORA through participation in future town meetings or other forums.