Story By Matt Sorrell
Visuals By R.J. Hartbeck
As seen in STL Made
When Aurora Bihler decided to pursue a career as a union iron worker, she didn’t know where to start. Originally from Joliet, Illinois, she came to the St. Louis area to study fine art and sculpture at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. After graduating, she searched for a career where she could put her creativity to work and get her hands dirty while still making a good living. The idea of working with iron was intriguing, but she had no family or friends in the construction trades to give her advice or direction on how to pursue that career.
“When I first got into the trades it felt like I was an anthropologist dropped into a foreign country,” she says. “It was like ‘How do I survive and respect this culture? I don’t speak the language, this is all new to me.’”
AURORA BIHLER, COORDINATOR FOR THE BUILDING UNION DIVERSITY PROGRAM.
Bihler’s experience isn’t unique. Each construction trade has its own apprenticeship process, and trade unions haven’t always had the reputation of being the most welcoming of places, with underrepresented minorities and women making up just 6 percent of the construction workforce. While Bihler did go on to find success in her career as an iron worker, she’s now part of the effort to make it easier for others to enter trade careers in St. Louis through the Building Union Diversity program.
BUD’s union construction pre-apprenticeship program was born in 2014 with the goal of getting more St. Louisans into the construction trades, focusing specifically in expanding diversity within those fields. It’s part of the Missouri Works Initiative, a nonprofit whose goal is creating economic opportunities for Missourians.
“It’s important for our union workforce to look like the neighborhoods they work in,” says Jake Hummel, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO (a federation of unions affiliated with the national American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations), which sponsors and supports the Missouri Works Initiative.
THE SPRING 2023 BUD COHORT VISITS TILE, MARBLE & TERRAZZO WORKERS – LOCAL 18 OF MISSOURI AFL-CIO.
To create the BUD program learning materials, several trade unions came together to craft a comprehensive curriculum. It covers basics in construction, math, blueprint reading and tape measure reading, as well as soft skills helpful to launching a successful career.
“The curriculum also covers some life skills about how to have a good attitude at work and how to present well in an interview,” says Megan Price, executive director of the Missouri Works Initiative. “Then throughout the cohort, we’re also taking them to the various apprenticeship training centers. And that is what students really find to be the most exciting part of the course.”
The six-week BUD program is held four times a year at no cost to students, and gives participants a taste of all the building trades so they can find which one suits them best. In addition to hands-on sessions with carpentry, bricklaying, electrical, sheet metal, plumbing and pipefitting, and cement masonry, BUD also focuses on wellness and personnel issues, with classes on subjects from financial literacy to fighting racial and sexual discrimination on the job site.
“The benefit of a cohort is that we continue to find that the model of bringing students together to go through this similar experience creates a lot of synergy, a lot of organic connections for people who are also starting their career and maybe encountering challenges,” says Price. In addition to building networking connections, the cohort also helps establish a peer support system – one way to help combat the high rates of mental health issues among construction workers.
MEGAN PRICE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MISSOURI WORKS INITIATIVE.
The first week of BUD is a full five days, but the remaining weeks are only four days long, giving students time to work or take care of getting the documents together they’ll need for their apprenticeship, like birth certificates and social security cards. Students also receive a $100 weekly stipend to help with expenses, and they’re supplied with necessary equipment like boots, high-visibility shirts and vests, work pants, ear and eye protection and a hard hat so they can hit the ground running once the program is completed. Transportation to the various training locations is also provided. Once a BUD graduate is accepted into an accredited apprenticeship program they get a $150 tool stipend as well.
Since its inception, 92 percent of BUD participants have graduated from the program, with 26.5 percent of those graduates being women and 79.2 percent being underrepresented minorities. One of those graduates is Raine McDevitt, who completed the program in November 2022.
“I went to a local private high school and they were like ‘You go to college, you get your fancy degree and you make a lot of money so you can give it back to us,’” says McDevitt. “I wish I’d known about BUD earlier.” McDevitt has a degree in graphic art and tried her hand in that field, then gave coding a shot, all the while supplementing her income with bartending and serving jobs. She heard about the program from a BUD graduate she met at a Women In The Trades meeting and decided to apply.
“I consider BUD one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” says McDevitt, who now works as a tile finisher with Stutte Tile Flooring.
Another crucial part of the program is to give students an overview of all of the trades so they can get a clear picture of which one would be best for them. Bihler plays a key part in mentoring the students to help them find the right career path.
“I think the BUD program did a great job of painting that picture overall,” says Shay Jones, who graduated from the program with McDevitt. “You feel informed and responsible for your decision.”
Jones spent years behind a desk in the home health care industry, while longing to be in a role where she could tap into her creative side. She found her fit as a glazier apprentice with Industrial Walls & Roof North America.
“I’m a baker, and caulking reminds me a lot of icing,” says Jones. “So I found it really easy to work with. I wanted to do something more hands-on, and something where I could see results of my work immediately, something more visible and tangible.”
Jones was also attracted by the competitive wages and benefits trade unions offer. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there’s about a $10,500 net difference between typical trade union and non-union annual salaries.
Once participants find a trade to pursue, often the biggest hurdle they face is finding out how to start the process to become an apprentice. One of the main focuses of BUD is to help students navigate those waters.
“I’d always been interested in the trades, but I didn’t know anything about that world,” says Jones. She feels BUD was invaluable in helping her figure out the necessary steps to successfully apply for her apprenticeship.
Bihler strives to help students realize they have what it takes to succeed in the trades, regardless of their background, and to advocate for themselves, using her own experiences coming up through the union ranks as an example.
“I felt like I was constantly standing up for myself or for other people who did not fit the mold,” Bihler says.
“Now I tell my students, ‘You need to set your limits and don’t let other people do it for you.’”
BUD program featured in theSTL
Story By Matt Sorrell
Visuals By R.J. Hartbeck
As seen in STL Made
When Aurora Bihler decided to pursue a career as a union iron worker, she didn’t know where to start. Originally from Joliet, Illinois, she came to the St. Louis area to study fine art and sculpture at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. After graduating, she searched for a career where she could put her creativity to work and get her hands dirty while still making a good living. The idea of working with iron was intriguing, but she had no family or friends in the construction trades to give her advice or direction on how to pursue that career.
“When I first got into the trades it felt like I was an anthropologist dropped into a foreign country,” she says. “It was like ‘How do I survive and respect this culture? I don’t speak the language, this is all new to me.’”
Bihler’s experience isn’t unique. Each construction trade has its own apprenticeship process, and trade unions haven’t always had the reputation of being the most welcoming of places, with underrepresented minorities and women making up just 6 percent of the construction workforce. While Bihler did go on to find success in her career as an iron worker, she’s now part of the effort to make it easier for others to enter trade careers in St. Louis through the Building Union Diversity program.
BUD’s union construction pre-apprenticeship program was born in 2014 with the goal of getting more St. Louisans into the construction trades, focusing specifically in expanding diversity within those fields. It’s part of the Missouri Works Initiative, a nonprofit whose goal is creating economic opportunities for Missourians.
“It’s important for our union workforce to look like the neighborhoods they work in,” says Jake Hummel, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO (a federation of unions affiliated with the national American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations), which sponsors and supports the Missouri Works Initiative.
To create the BUD program learning materials, several trade unions came together to craft a comprehensive curriculum. It covers basics in construction, math, blueprint reading and tape measure reading, as well as soft skills helpful to launching a successful career.
“The curriculum also covers some life skills about how to have a good attitude at work and how to present well in an interview,” says Megan Price, executive director of the Missouri Works Initiative. “Then throughout the cohort, we’re also taking them to the various apprenticeship training centers. And that is what students really find to be the most exciting part of the course.”
The six-week BUD program is held four times a year at no cost to students, and gives participants a taste of all the building trades so they can find which one suits them best. In addition to hands-on sessions with carpentry, bricklaying, electrical, sheet metal, plumbing and pipefitting, and cement masonry, BUD also focuses on wellness and personnel issues, with classes on subjects from financial literacy to fighting racial and sexual discrimination on the job site.
“The benefit of a cohort is that we continue to find that the model of bringing students together to go through this similar experience creates a lot of synergy, a lot of organic connections for people who are also starting their career and maybe encountering challenges,” says Price. In addition to building networking connections, the cohort also helps establish a peer support system – one way to help combat the high rates of mental health issues among construction workers.
The first week of BUD is a full five days, but the remaining weeks are only four days long, giving students time to work or take care of getting the documents together they’ll need for their apprenticeship, like birth certificates and social security cards. Students also receive a $100 weekly stipend to help with expenses, and they’re supplied with necessary equipment like boots, high-visibility shirts and vests, work pants, ear and eye protection and a hard hat so they can hit the ground running once the program is completed. Transportation to the various training locations is also provided. Once a BUD graduate is accepted into an accredited apprenticeship program they get a $150 tool stipend as well.
Since its inception, 92 percent of BUD participants have graduated from the program, with 26.5 percent of those graduates being women and 79.2 percent being underrepresented minorities. One of those graduates is Raine McDevitt, who completed the program in November 2022.
“I went to a local private high school and they were like ‘You go to college, you get your fancy degree and you make a lot of money so you can give it back to us,’” says McDevitt. “I wish I’d known about BUD earlier.” McDevitt has a degree in graphic art and tried her hand in that field, then gave coding a shot, all the while supplementing her income with bartending and serving jobs. She heard about the program from a BUD graduate she met at a Women In The Trades meeting and decided to apply.
“I consider BUD one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” says McDevitt, who now works as a tile finisher with Stutte Tile Flooring.
Another crucial part of the program is to give students an overview of all of the trades so they can get a clear picture of which one would be best for them. Bihler plays a key part in mentoring the students to help them find the right career path.
“I think the BUD program did a great job of painting that picture overall,” says Shay Jones, who graduated from the program with McDevitt. “You feel informed and responsible for your decision.”
Jones spent years behind a desk in the home health care industry, while longing to be in a role where she could tap into her creative side. She found her fit as a glazier apprentice with Industrial Walls & Roof North America.
“I’m a baker, and caulking reminds me a lot of icing,” says Jones. “So I found it really easy to work with. I wanted to do something more hands-on, and something where I could see results of my work immediately, something more visible and tangible.”
Jones was also attracted by the competitive wages and benefits trade unions offer. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there’s about a $10,500 net difference between typical trade union and non-union annual salaries.
Once participants find a trade to pursue, often the biggest hurdle they face is finding out how to start the process to become an apprentice. One of the main focuses of BUD is to help students navigate those waters.
“I’d always been interested in the trades, but I didn’t know anything about that world,” says Jones. She feels BUD was invaluable in helping her figure out the necessary steps to successfully apply for her apprenticeship.
Bihler strives to help students realize they have what it takes to succeed in the trades, regardless of their background, and to advocate for themselves, using her own experiences coming up through the union ranks as an example.
“I felt like I was constantly standing up for myself or for other people who did not fit the mold,” Bihler says.
“Now I tell my students, ‘You need to set your limits and don’t let other people do it for you.’”
Wellness & Well-being Highlights March 19
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of March 19, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from the mental health of workers and students to Moms seeking work-life balance to how to grieve in a healthy manner. Today, I wish to shed some light on how apprenticeships are now being viewed by high school students as legitimate alternatives to the “college-for-all” mantra the US has hitched its wagon to for the past 30+ years. Having served on the US Secretary of Labor’s Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship (ACA) from 2003-2010, I can attest that the seeds we planted 20 years ago are finally bearing fruit. If one reviews the details of the student debt issue, you will soon find that a good portion of this debt is from community college students…most of which never earned an Associate’s degree. While college may not be for all at the age of 18, I for one, do believe that most workers “eventually” gain much needed leadership skills by attending college once they hone in on their career choice. This is why I have advocated for emulating the European model of apprenticeships since 2004 (Google: Bayless Floor Layers Middle Apprenticeship Program). Wherein, the focus is on apprenticeships at the secondary level of education. Thus, graduating high school students with job-ready skill sets! In closing, I suspect with the rise of STEM at the secondary and post-secondary levels, it has become less bitter (and less costly) for many parents to accept the importance of hands-on education which, in turn, helps temper the age-old stigma of vocational education.
Sources: https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-students-are-turning-away-from-college-and-toward-apprenticeships-15f3a05d
https://www.wsj.com/articles/student-loan-bills-are-set-to-come-due-adding-pressure-on-younger-americans-1738b6e0
US-DOL seeks input on workers’ MH
Young women & MH
Students & MH
Trials of being young
MH guide for college students & families
Period products in MO schools
US maternal mortality rate
Toxic workplace culture: Men v Women
Canadian moms & Work-Life balance
Millennials & Unkept promises
COVID & What worked?
Meth forces new protocols for CO libraries
New CDC opioids guidelines / Too little, too late?
On solving our opioids crisis
Testing for fentanyl?
Opioids in the construction industry (14:38 min mark)
Finns / Death / Drug abuse
Marriage & Technology
Marriage / Long term health / Happiness
Women / Sex / Cancer
How to meditate?
On meditating before sleep
Embracing the “dark side”
A good death?
Healthy grieving
Feeling alive…again
On chiros & neck manipulation
Never getting together?
Meetings: In-person v Tech
Student debt & Added pressure
Apprenticeship v College
Promoting Canada’s skilled trades education
Local community colleges expand mfg curriculum
Fixing child care: A work-around
The anti-Girl Scout cookie
Build housing = Attract workers?
What’s your next career?
Why trust science?
Wellness & Well-being Highlights March 12
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of March 12, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from how perks in the workplace are about to change to how one religion has incorporated Yoga into their Lenten practices to the March 8th celebration of International Women’s Day. Today, I wish to shed some light on how a rare conviction in a Brooklyn court recently charged a (non-union) contractor with the (homicide) death of an immigrant construction worker. The district attorney made it clear that when contractors cut corners and allow workers to work in unsafe conditions, they will face criminal repercussions! To this end, I have 2 thoughts I want to leave you with: 1) I am thankful for the working relationship our unions and signatory contractors have with OSHA at the national and local levels; and 2) Hopefully, “Carlos’ Law” will reinforce the importance of the professional-level safety training delivered to our future workforce via our jointly-trusted US-DOL Registered Apprenticeship Programs across this great nation.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/03/nyregion/brooklyn-homicide-construction-worker.html?searchResultPosition=1
New work perks?
Managing MH accommodations in the workplace
MH & Supportive workplaces
Gearing MH services towards our youth
The “Youth” MH great resignation?
Young women & MH
Mindful breathing
Sleep & Suicide?
Superpowers & Highly Sensitive People
Self-confidence vs Self-esteem
Self-care & Laughing more
Moods & Essential oils
Yoga / Religion / Lent
Update: Opioids & Sacklers
Update: Mexico & Fentanyl
Update: Long COVID
NY / Homicide / Construction
NY / Immigrants / Plans?
Unions & Scabby Rat
Migrants & Child Labor
Afghan Women & School
Iran’s Girls & Poisoning
International Women’s Day (1)
International Women’s Day (2)
Finding the “missing workers”
Surviving a layoff?
WARNING: Mexico’s Medical Tourism
Upcoming seminars:
Dementia 101
Brain & Body
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.
Wellness & Well-being Highlights March 5
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of March 5, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from addressing if AI (artificial intelligence) can help treat Mental Illness to the benefits of sleep to how one should continue to exercise regardless of age. Today, I wish to shed some light on how one school district is now requiring ALL teachers to be trained in administering NARCAN. Since the beginning of the blog, nearly 2 years ago, I have included numerous articles pertaining to the opioids crisis in the USA. In fact, you may recall seeing an article a couple of months ago where I was part of a team of first responders on a SWA flight to Las Vegas that revived an opioids overdose victim…while 35,000 feet off the ground. Had my spouse NOT been carrying NARCAN in her purse on October 22, 2022, I fear, for him and his family, that young man would no longer be with us today. To this end, people from ALL walks of life—social standing be damned—are dying on a daily basis from opioid overdoses. As such, I have 2 “immediate” asks of you:
Sources: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/teachers-trained-to-administer-narcan-amid-opioid-crisis/#x
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/tony-messenger/messenger-st-louis-man-who-saved-overdose-victim-pushes-airline-to-carry-narcan/article_54ced5c1-9d10-5867-9101-979b08e9bc3e.html
Training teachers to use NARCAN in schools
GA opioids trial
MH & Obstacles to Accessing Benefits
Improving Worker Well-being
Supporting MH Builds Resiliency
Update: Suicide Data
Insulin pricing?
AI / Doctors / Patients
AI & Treating Mental Illness
Are you a “fixer”?
Caregivers & Burnout
Kids & Screen Time
Sleep Benefits
Sleep Discipline
Loneliness / Workers / Costs
Grief & Ignoring Advice
Beating Brain Fog & MH
The 11-minute Walk = Longer Life
Aging & Exercise
The Ongoing Alzheimers’ Debate
Missing your work spouse?
Biden’s nomination for Walsh’s replacement
Supreme Court weighs in on Student Debt Relief
UMWA strike ends
STL nursing home closes
Firms losing worker w/o layoffs
5 Generations in the Workplace
Women & Title IX (1)
Women & Title IX (2)
Another NFLer passes: Stage 4 CTE
Upcoming Trainings:
QPR & MHFA (FREE – Onsite)
Past webinars:
Tale of 2 Surgeries
Opioid Risk Reduction & Minimizing Claims
Holistic Approach to Campus Mental Health
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.
Wellness & Well-being Highlights February 26
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of February 26, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from the failure of the US War on Drugs to how a “phone call” can help cure loneliness to stories on the links between depression & inflammation as well as exercise & pain. Today, I wish to shed some light on the podcast touching on the Forgotten Mothers of Civil Rights’ Leaders. As Black History Month soon comes to a close it would be remiss on my part not to share such an impactful this piece. It reminded me that NONE of us are self-made! Most of us have had people in our lives who have been there to support & guide us through the good times and bad times during this journey we call life. PLEASE find 50 minutes during this coming week to listen to these three moving stories. You will NOT be disappointed!
Source: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ted-radio-hour/id523121474?i=1000597760729
On the USA losing the Drug War
Harm reduction in the USA
US resistance to effective treatments
More on harm reduction
Fentanyl / Smuggling / Mexico Border
Mexico / Law / Bribery
Emojis / Kids / Drugs
MH & 988 progress
Girls & Sadness: What parents should know
College / Discrimination / Depression
Depression & Inflammation
Are you at risk for loneliness?
A Loneliness Cure: The Phone Call?
When is best time to exercise?
Exercise & Pain
Lower back pain?
IBS & Anxiety/Depression/Suicide
Running out of time?
Slowing time down?
On “saving” others
Update: US COVID Death Toll
COVID & Kids’ Learning Loss
A School Counselor & Kids’ Anxiety
Spirituality & Well-being
Benefits of Music Therapy
MH Workforce Shortage
HC Apprenticeships
Labor’s Spring Rising
NLRB & Severance Packages
Forgotten Mothers of Civil Rights’ Leaders
Seattle & Banning Caste
Happiness & Work
Tailoring benefits to the employee’s needs?
MH in the Workplace
MH & Better Managers = Better Workers
The 4-day Workweek?
Tracking your brain @ work?
Does implicit bias training work?
Men’s Soccer joins AFL-CIO
MLS Union / FIFA & Concussion Subs?
Female athletes / Head injuries / Suicide
Upcoming webinars:
https://www.slcl.org/content/virtual-program-compassion-fatigue
https://www.slcl.org/content/virtual-program-chair-yoga
Wellness & Well-being Highlights February 20
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of February 19, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from emergency rooms not being able to adequately accommodate children with Mental Health issues to one’s Mental Health following a stroke to a history of head injuries in sports. Today, I wish to shed some light on the articles touching on the increase in sadness being experienced by teen girls, the state of worker wellness, and how peer support is being provided by college students. There is no doubt that COVID has raised the level of awareness when it comes to Mental Health and somewhat lowered the stigma that surrounds this once taboo topic…with this comes an increase in reporting mental health issues. It is no secret that the US is confronted with a shortage of Mental Health professionals. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to step up and help solve this dilemma. One approach would be to increase the number of para-professionals known as Peer Supporters. This model is being utilized in a number of venues (i.e., OUD/SUD rehab, schools, remote villages, etc.) across the world and showing some success. After all, if you needed help who would you rather speak to…a peer with lived experience OR a person you never met before with no connections to your way of life?
Sources: www.wsj.com/articles/teen-girls-experiencing-record-levels-of-sadness-and-suicide-risk-cdc-says-b30b7e8e
www.constructforstl.org/dodge-interviews-mo-afl-cios-dr-john-gaal-on-the-state-of-worker-wellness/
www.wsj.com/articles/with-therapists-in-short-supply-college-students-counsel-each-other-b9cb5eb2
Teen girls & Sadness (1)
Teen girls & Sadness (2)
ERs failing / Kids / MH
Doctors / Kids / MH
Doctors / Infants / Financial Literacy
MH / Stigma / Politics (1)
MH / Stigma / Politics (2)
Depression after Stroke? (1)
Depression after Stroke? (2)
Hypnosis & MH
Moral Injury & MH
Men / ODs / Trades
Gun violence & MH
Ohio & Opioids Settlement
Exercise & Energy
Is rejection good for you?
Mice & Male Contraceptives
The Love Languages
Dating & Therapy Speak
Teens & Driving?
Win or Learn vs Win or Lose
Vapes on Planes?
Update: Fentanyl & Mexico
Child labor & Meatpacking
Chinese retirees protest
Railroads & Lack of safety
State of worker wellness
High paying jobs: No degree required
College students & Peer support
Training vs Learning
coNFLicts of interest
History of head injuries in sports
Upcoming webinar:
Managing pain: The tale of 2 surgeries
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.
Wellness & Well-being Highlights February 13
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of February 12, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from providing more Mental Health assistance to children in ERs to why women continue to leave the workforce to the risks of Magic Mushrooms. Today, I wish to shed some light on the article touching on the possible repeal of child labor laws. With a >35% increase of child labor law violations in 2022, this is not an issue to take lightly…worker shortage or not! We are not merely talking about kids working more than the allotted hours in a given week in the “safe” confines of your local grocery store. In fact, a number of these abuses stem from reports at suppliers to foreign car plants (mostly located in the south). As a lifelong advocate of Career & Technical Education, I can attest that the majority of these schemes over that past +4 decades have less to do about the virtues of work-based learning and more to do about sourcing another form of cheap labor…at the cost of worker safety, in general…and our children’s futures, in specific!
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/11/us-child-labor-laws-violations?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
988 Guide for Schools
More govt funding for MH?
Deadly Fentanyl Wave
How to be happier?
Are Trigger Warnings working?
MH / Obesity / Isolation / College & COVID
Sailors / Nukes / MH
Setting boundaries
Microdosing & Mushrooms
Ketamine & Mushrooms: Risks
Vets / Ketamine & Therapy
Kids / Crisis / ER v Home
COVID / Food scarcity & College
Athletes & Personal Reporting
Women / Workforce / Health Inequalities
Co-workers & Well-being
On falling asleep
Syncing moods & Sex
Porn & Sex Addiction
Mixed handedness
Having it all v Falling apart
US Secretary of Labor’s next move?
The dangers of tweaking US child labor laws in 2023
Resenteeism
Learning to say NO
Women in construction
Productivity v Safety?
Navigating Rec Marijuana in MO
STL Co Jail & College
Kids / Concussions / Sports
UPDATE: CTE found in 92% of former NFL players
Upcoming webinar, etc.:
A tale of 2 surgeries
Mental Health in Construction Summit
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.
Wellness & Well-being Highlights February 6
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of January 29, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from workaholism to taking care of your brain to two brothers in Florida creating a pill mill that can be linked to today’s opioids crisis. Today, I wish to shed some light on 2 stories that provide differing perspectives on today’s construction industry. While NYT’s Klein hints at how safety is important on the contemporary job site, he concurrently indicates that this issue—among other factors—has stifled productivity. Interestingly, Klein never tackles the issue of how today’s workforce no longer reflects that of 1970s. To this end, MWI has been leading an effort across the state based on a program developed by the STL construction industry nearly a decade ago: Building Union Diversity (BUD). If you have not listened to the recent St. Louis On The Air piece linked below, please do so…you won’t regret it. I think you will then agree that the vitality of an industrial sector, community, and household are made up of more than one datum point!
Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/05/opinion/economy-construction-productivity-mystery.html?searchResultPosition=1
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2023-01-06/how-one-local-woman-became-an-ironworker-and-is-encouraging-others-to-start-construction-careers
Lead Safety
Amazon & OSHA
Well-being for Teens
Younger workers & Stress
MH breaks & College
Prison & Punishment
Workaholism (1)
Workaholism (2)
Seeking Awe
Phoning a friend
Youth / Well-being / Phone Calls
Surgeon General / Youth / Social Media
Stop ruminating!
Sleep & Your Brain
Taking a Mind Break
Recovery therapy
Homelessness (1)
Homelessness (2)
Homelessness (3)
Workplace Supported Recovery
Narcan & Vending Machines
ADA & SUD
Fentanyl & Recovery?
Pain & Glial Cells
Trauma & Trafficking
Outsmarting Gonorrhea?
Gaslighting & Narcissism
Birds & MH
Black Doulas
More on Menopause
Seniors & Depression
Retiree Romance Scams
American Pill Mill
Another legend passes on
Managers’ impact on MH
Is a 4-year degree necessary?
Burnout (1)
Burnout (2)
BUD’s new leader
On construction productivity
Youth Soccer & Suicide
Upcoming webinars:
Sports & Concussions Workshop
CTE Awareness Month Series
Wellness & Well-being Highlights January 30
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of January 30, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from drugs worse than fentanyl to the impact of gun violence on our Mental Health to homelessness issues in STL. Today, I wish to shed some light on 2 remotely related articles. First, the importance of empowering Justice Involved Individuals (JII: recently known as the formerly incarcerated) before they re-enter the community appears to be a strategy that truly refocuses our correctional systems towards rehabilitation vs punishment. Why does this matter? For far too many reasons to list herein…but one for sure is to help address the current worker shortage. Regarding the second article, COVID is now not being seen as a major culprit of today’s lack of workers. A recent study suggests that younger less educated men (Think: no college degree) are not seeking work as they did in the past. To all apprenticeship directors/coordinators looking to fill your ranks, this seems like an issue worth exploring!
Sources: https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/connection-hope-purpose-and-empowerment-for-justice-involved-individuals-reentering-the-community
https://www.wsj.com/articles/labor-participation-factors-economy-11674780877
Kids / Social media / Drugs
Biden / Congress / Opioids
Worse than Fentanyl: Nitazene?
Xylazine (1)
Xylazine (2)
Chronic pain: Opioids v PT
Native Americans & Deaths of Despair
MH resources for under-represented populations
MH & Gun violence
MH & Football
How to be happier?
Rodents & Love
Empowering JII
HUD on Homelessness
STL & Homeless
Train to be positive
Why urologists matter
Yoga for seniors
Selfish Mindfulness?
Benefits of Guided Imagery
Changes to Medicaid?
Worker shortage & COVID?
Does a college degree matter?
Holocaust & Lessons yet learned
Upcoming webinars:
Managing everyday anxiety
Use of herbs
Emergency Preparedness
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.
Wellness & Well-being Highlights January 23
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of January 15, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from the importance of social bonding to youth obesity to how PTSD impacts different portions of our population. Today, I wish to highlight the story on Recovery Friendly Workplaces (RFW). It is no secret that businesses across our region have been concerned about the shortage of workers. RFW is a program that addresses the need to SAFELY bring those workers who are in supervised treatment for OUD/SUD back into the workforce. As noted therein, a former Mizzou economics professor reported that Missouri has approximately 29000 workers who fit this category…of which ~3800 of those are construction workers! It is important to remember that OUD/SUD is now considered a disease not unlike diabetes. As such, businesses should consult their legal teams concerning how they can assist workers safely return to their shops, job sites and/or offices when adhering to the American with Disabilities Act and Mental Health Parity Act.
Source: https://news.stlpublicradio.org/show/st-louis-on-the-air/2023-01-20/recovery-friendly-workplaces-are-breaking-the-stigma-of-drug-rehabilitation
OSHA / Workplace Stress
Workers & The GREAT Rebalancing
Social bonds
Key to finding happiness?
Colleges & Student MH
Cross-cultural Suicide Prevention
Youth Obesity
Women / PTSD / Therapy
PTSD & Military
What is Fentanyl?
Recovery Friendly Workplaces / MO
OUD treatments
Fentanyl Test Strips
Narcan Distribution in COMO
Mexico’s battle w/ Cartels
Tranq Dope in Philly
Strongwomen & Suicide
Suicide Prevention
Doulas & Black Women
Sibling fights
Exercise & COVID
Morning exercise
10-minute Workout
Pickleball
Awe & Health
988 sees early usage
STL / 211 / Issues?
Boston’s Homeless
STL Building Union Diversity Program
US union market share
Amazon & Workers’ injuries
Amazon’s Smile wiped away
Upcoming webinars:
Living w/ Chronic Pain
Live your life well
Managing everyday worry
Mental Health First Aid
—CONSTRUCTION FOCUS—
Why We Need More Women in Construction
Strategies to Recruit and Retain Women
Being an Ally – Improving Treatment of Women on the Job
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.