Worker Wellness News Archives | Page 3 of 23

Wellness & Well-being Highlights August 4th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of August 4, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how changes to OSHA will place profits BEFORE people—to how the understaffing at the VA affects medical care which has resulted in an increase in veterans’ suicide deaths—to how DC edicts have negatively impacted women and minority construction contracts in the STL region. This week I would like to take a closer look at the tragedy that unfolded earlier this week in Manhattan.

In 2021, nearly 49,000 lives were lost to firearms in the USA. By now, many of us are aware that another mass shooting took place earlier this week, in this nation, where several people were killed including the shooter. The gunman’s alleged target was the NFL. He linked the NFL to his mental health condition and indicated that his high school football career may have caused CTE.

For those of you who do not know what CTE is I have included several related articles that do a good job explaining the neurodegenerative disease known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy.[1, 2] In the interest of full disclosure, I lost my son, John Jr, to suicide in March of 2017. John Jr was a multi-sport high school athlete who suffered multiple concussions in his junior and senior years. After he died, we requested that his brain be studied for CTE. To date, the ONLY way to positively identify CTE is posthumously. Dr Ann McKee, the world’s foremost expert on CTE, in Boston, and her team of researchers shared with us on December 6, 2017 that my son had Stage 1 CTE. While we know so much more about CTE today than we did 8 years ago, here are some facts worth sharing:

* CTE can manifest with a range of symptoms, including memory loss, confusion, mood changes (depression, anxiety, aggression), impulsivity, erratic behavior, and difficulty with judgment and motor skills.

* CTE is a progressive disease, meaning symptoms worsen over time, and the changes can occur slowly over years or even decades.

* Reducing the risk of head injuries, particularly through safety measures in sports and other activities, is the primary way to prevent CTE. (Gemini AI)

Two points I wish to leave you with:

The first point is related to the last bullet above. Not all head protection is equal. In construction, it is high time we make the switch to safety helmets from hard hats. Safety helmets provide protection from the sides as well as from above. (See https://www.hardhatstohelmets.org/ for more info.)

The second point refers to the need be vigilant with those around us…especially when it comes to lethal means. To this end, I highly recommend taking a course known as CALM: Conversations on Access to Lethal Means. This is NOT anti-gun…it is anti-suicide! (See https://learning.agrisafe.org/products/conversations-on-access-to-lethal-means-calm-training-live-81125 for more info.)

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Sources: [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/07/29/cte-brain-disease-head-trauma-nyc-shooting-explained/

[2] https://one.npr.org/?sharedMediaId=nx-s1-5483956:nx-s1-9391098

OSHA: Optional Safety & Health Act?

Combat Cocktail & Vet Suicides

IL / Students / MH Screenings

WARNING: Stronger than Fentanyl

PA Recognizes Construction Opioids Awareness

Protecting Workers & Heat

Work-Life Balance & HR

Connection

Medicare Costs Set to Rise

Patients Forced to Switch Weight-loss Drugs

Preventing Dementia?

Older Adults & Walking

WARNING: Caffeine Pouches

The Wrong Way to Pee

Mankeeping?

Reversing Seasonal Depression

NYC / Shooter / CTE?

NFL / Shooter / MH

What is CTE?

How CTE Affects the Brain

JR Hoffa: 50 Years Later

Boilermakers Sue Past President

MT Lumber Strike

RI Hospital Workers Reject Contract

NY Prisons & Wildcat Strike

CA UFCW / Fed Mediator / Safeway

Nigerian Nurses Strike

ICE Raids & Construction Labor

STL / DEI / Construction Projects

Construction / Interest Rates / Reaction

Construction / Misclassification / Workers

New OT Tax Rule: Confused?

Fed Workers Paid for NOT Working

Job Vacancies: Lowest since 2017

AI’s Impact / New Grads / Entry-level Jobs

Employers & Ethical AI

Apprenticeships & Internships Close Skills Gap

What Does Your Gen Want from Work?

Fast-tracking Med School?

Digital Privacy @ Work

DANGER: Air Traffic Controllers

Unintended Consequences / Trump / Africa

Trump’s K-12 Fitness Test

Trouble Ahead for New Pope

Student Loans: Interest Rates Jump

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

What is Emotional Intelligence? (8/5)

Free CALM Training (8/11)

Responding to a MH Emergency (8/12)

Construction / Suicide Prevention / Safe Messaging (8/13)

Understanding Anxiety (8/20)

Women’s Special MH Issues (8/20

LEAN-STL: Breaking the Stigma

COMET: Rural MH Training (9/23)

Healthcare Apprenticeships (10/14)

Suicide Prevention Guide for Schools

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 jgaal@moworks.org with related questions or comments.

August 4, 2025/by Dr. John Gaal

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 28th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of July 28, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at numerous cities across the USA that under a heat alert—to the negative impact of working alone—to the concept of ‘quiet cracking.’ This week I would like to take a closer look at burnout.

Barnes says, “Burnout is workload and environment-related stress, resulting from unhappy or overworked employees.[1] Meanwhile, the

…World Health Organization (WHO) defines employee burnout as a syndrome from workplace stress that employers don’t successfully manage, rather than a medical condition. Whether clinically diagnosable or not, burnout is a serious concern that — if unmanaged — could profoundly impact employee health and workplace safety.[1]

This article presents itself as a timely piece. Why? Because, once again, Aetna, along with CFSTL and the Missouri Works Initiative have teamed up to bring the Summer Construction Mental Health Series to the Greater St. Louis region. In fact, it kicks off on Tuesday this week (7/29) at the Sheet Metal Workers (Local 36) Hall at 7:30a. The first segment in this 3-part series focuses on the following related topics:

*Psychological Safety

*Psychological First Aid

*Culture of Care

*Working Wounded

The second segment will focus on Suicide Postvention in the Construction Industry. It will be held on 8/21 at the Local 562 Plumbers & Pipefitters Training School (seating is limited). The third and final segment will be offered on 9/18 at IBEW (Local 1) Hall. The topic that day will be Gambling Addiction in the Construction Industry.

These events are FREE but require registration. For more info visit:

https://constructforstl.org/upcoming-events/mental-health-in-the-public-labor-industry/

Last summer’s Construction Mental Health Series generated positive momentum in the industry. How? It was the basis for St. Louis University‘s CEET program director to jointly develop a 5-part follow-up series that ran from November 2024 to March 2025. Wherein, a rep from a major STL union electrical contractor connected with fellow invested participants. As a result, just last week, the St. Louis Building Trades Wellness Coalition was launched. Stay tuned for more details!

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Source: [1] https://www.thesafetymag.com/ca/topics/safety-and-ppe/the-effects-of-burnout-on-safety-compliance/543563?utm_medium=email&utm_source=rasa_io&utm_campaign=newsletter

Cities Under Heat Alert

Teens / Screens / MH

Teens & Caffeine Pouches

Lone Workers & Psychosocial Risks

Burnout & Safety

Sick Days & Lies

PA / Construction / Opioids

Your Kids & Cannabis

Youth MH

Grandmas Redefined

Food Recipes for Hard Times

Black Youth & Suicide

Suicide Prevention / Bridges / Netting

Aerial Lift / Mental Lapse / Death

Tips for Jet Lag

Magnesium & Sleep

Cortisol Cocktail?

Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 21st

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of July 21, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how changes at OSHA will negatively impact workers—to the importance of proper-fitting PPE for women—to numerous garbage strikes across the USA. This week I would like to take a closer look at the NYT article on Meth and paying users to quit.

This past week, I spent time with James Pursell and Aaron Walsh at the annual LAP (Labor Assistance Professionals) conference in Nevada. As many of you may know, these 2 guys are Peer Supporters with the LEAN-STL program sponsored by the Health & Welfare3 Fund of Laborers Locals 42 & 110…and both are superstars in my book! Our typical days went like this: 2 presentations in the morning and 2 presentations in the afternoon. All topics were related to helping our union sisters and brothers (and their family members) deal with anything from substance use disorders to a variety of mental health issues.

So, what does this have to do with the aforementioned NYT article? Well, the one thing that was mentioned several times last week is that no two paths to sobriety are exactly the same…What worked for you may not for me! Accordingly, the following excerpt by NYT’s Hoffman caught my attention:

Overcoming meth addiction has become one of the biggest challenges of the national drug crisis. Fentanyl deaths have been dropping, in part because of medications that can reverse overdoses and curb the urge to use opioids. But no such prescriptions exist for meth, which works differently on the brain.[1]

I recall reading a book a few years back that predicted the toll that today’s meth would eventually have on our society. That author proclaimed that the ‘shake and bake’ meth from decades ago produced a much safer product. Whereas, today’s product is mostly made on the industrial scale by Mexican drug cartels using industrial chemicals. This results in have devasting effects on one’s organs upon initial use. And, as noted above, we have no reversal drug for meth! Therefore, as the old saying goes, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

While some readers may disagree with paying people to get and stay sober, the other alternative is eventual death with the potential of collateral destruction along that journey. Please look around your town: Destruction takes on many forms…Who is that holding the sign at street corner? To this end, we need to consider factors well below the surface. Issues like adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and social determinates of health (SDoH) must be taken into account when considering solutions. To be sure, no 2 brains are alike.

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Source: [1]https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/health/meth-addiction-treatment-contingency-management.html?smid=em-share

Use of Drugs @ Work

Meth: Paying Users to Quit?

Mexico / USA / Fentanyl Flow

OSHA / New Rules / Devalued Workers

SeaWorld / OSHA / Impact on Construction

AZ: Construction Suicides

TN: Rural Suicide Belt

UK Dads & Suicide Prevention

Suicide Prevention: Roles of HR & Mkt

Trump / 988 / LGBTQ+

Ghost Benefits Gap

Trans in Military

Travel / Elderly / Health Insurance

DO vs MD?

PPE for Women

Youth / Women / Homelessness

Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 14th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of July 14, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at advice on the dangers of working in summer heat—to a breakthrough regarding non-opioid acute painkillers—to the UK Construction Industry’s effort to address sexual harassment. This week I would like to take a closer look at Trump’s attempt to expand apprenticeships by 1 million.[1]

xa

In an era where High School students are weighing the costs and benefits of attending college vs going to work, one must strike while the iron is hot. While the article linked below gives credit to the Obama Administration for priming the ‘apprenticeship’ pump, this effort was in the works long before 2009. As I said before in this blog, the greatest thing that ever happened to apprenticeship in the US is that Harvard’s School of Education studied the concept of earn while you learn. In 2011, Professor Bob Schwartz and his team published a groundbreaking report called, “Pathways to Prosperity.” Countless educators and politicians from the US went on study tours of Switzerland and Germany. In the interest of full disclosure, I participated in two of these events: 2006 and 2019. A major take-away was that both of these nations focus apprenticeships on what we consider the High School years. In fact, nearly, 70% of all High Schoolers there lean towards the apprenticeship track. The upside is that when students graduate, they are journey-level workers across +300 occupations. And, have options to complete related college degrees.

While setting a goal of 1 million is admirable, it probably is not realistic. Why? 1) Because for the past 40 years, parents—along with educators—have channeled the vast majority of our High Schoolers towards college. 2) There are not enough apprenticeship slots available. With respect to #1, Gen Zers are pushing back against the “college for all” model…so if this trend remains steady there is hope to reach the aforementioned goal. However, #2 remains the sticky wicket. Unless and until, the US adopts and adapts to the Youth Apprenticeship model (similar to Switzerland and Germany), the current version of post-secondary apprenticeship will remain the soup du jour. This will require a major mindset change for businesses. Currently, there are ~600k apprentices registered with the US-DOL. A good percentage of those are affiliated with the building trades. Again, to come close to nearly doubling the current pool, we need to cast a wider net so that more occupations are ready and willing to recruit and mentor apprentices.

My final words on this topic are clear and concise. We must not allow one group to take control of the Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) model…which I refer to as the gold standard. A main reason the St. Louis region is the envy of other major cities across the US when it comes to RAPs is the joint partnership between labor and management. For the past ~70 years, their goal has been and still remains to make sound decisions in the best interest of the apprentices!

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Source: [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2025/07/06/trump-apprenticeship-high-school-students-college-alternative/

WARNING: Workplace MH at Risk

US Measles Cases @ 33-Year High

US Kids’ Health: Downturn

IMPORTANT: Heat Advisory Info

Summer Ticks

MH Stigma – Time Off to Heal

THC Levels Increased

Trauma Therapist’s Tips: Anxiety

Non-opioid Acute Painkiller?

MAHA / Psychedelics / Wall Street

Gut Health

US Aid Down / Congo HIV Up

UK Construction: ~1200% Rise in Harassment Training

CoMo / Workers / Unions

AL Auto Plant & UAW

EU’s AI Code of Practice

Opera / AI / Disabled

DC / Data / Gestapo?

SCOTUS Allows Mass Fed Layoffs

Addressing “Sandwich Gens” Needs

TikTok / Youth / Construction Trades

Build UK & Construction Shortage

Trump & Apprenticeships

Overwork is the New Norm

HR / Tailored Communication / Stress

School Board / Post-COVID / Threats

More College Students Online

Court Blocks Unsubscribing Rule

China / India / Dali Lama

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

CPWR Summer Heat (7/29)

Multi-lingual Stigma Awareness

FREE Diapers

FREE Food

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 jgaal@moworks.org with related questions or comments.

July 14, 2025/by Missouri Works Initiative

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 7th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of July 7, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at NY proposing a bill that requires Narcan on jobsites—how your meditation practice not only improves your well-being but those around you—to how ICE raids are impacting the US construction sector. This week I would like to take a closer look at the difference between lifespan and healthspan in aging societies.

It is no secret that, in general, people are living longer in the USA. While that might sound good on the surface, we must take the good with the bad. In essence, longer lifespans are creating a need to address the aging brain’s cognitive decline. To this end, a recent study “found that brain function and cognition significantly improved in patients who made lifestyle changes.”[1]

The research comes as the gap widens between lifespan and healthspan—the number of years spent in good health. Americans are living longer on average, leaving more time to develop age-related diseases including dementia. New cases of dementia will double by 2060 to roughly one million annually….[1]

Researchers found that one’s lifestyle plays a big role in one’s healthspan. To this end, in time-based testing of brain cognition, over 70% of the participants who made lifestyle changes showed improvement or no decline vs 0% improvement in the control group including 68% whose results revealed declines. In fact, the earlier you intervene, the less intensive the lifestyle changes that are likely needed to prevent it.

So, what do these lifestyle changes look like?[1]

Diet: A whole-foods, minimally processed vegan diet, low in harmful fats, refined carbs and sweeteners…
Exercise: At least 30 minutes daily of moderate aerobic exercise and mild strength training at least three times a week…
Stress management: One hour a day of techniques, including meditation, stretching and breathing exercises… Adequate sleep was encouraged.
Support: Participants and their partners or spouses attended one-hour support-group sessions three times a week, focusing on emotional support…

As the old saying goes: Forewarned is forearmed!

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Source: [1]https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/brain-age-health-lifestyle-012262b3?st=9C97Xt&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

How Your Meditation Supports Others

NY Bill: Narcan on Jobsites

How US-AID Cuts = Death

Cuts = 14m More Deaths

Spain: Worker Deaths

Greece: Scaffolding Injury

Loneliness: How to Find Friends

Lifespan & Dementia

Long COVID & Your Brain

Putting Off Check-ups & Screenings?

Seed Oils: Good or Bad?

Optimal Napping

Running v Walking

Risk-free Betting?

Lessons Learned from Youth

W Churchill & Painting

TX / Flash Flood / Missing

ATC / France / Strike

Harvard Appeals Bargaining Unit 2x

CO / Safeway / UFCW

Impact of Trump’s Bill

Trump / Bishops / Immigration

Trump’s ‘Unwritten’ Rule

Opening Old Wounds: Renaming Renamed Army Bases

Employers / Workers / Culture

ICE & Construction Workers

Impact: ICE Raids on Construction?

Downturn in National Pride

Medicine’s Impact on Employment

Japan: Hiring Quitters

AI Career Coach

Youth Redefining Workplace Success

US Researchers: Europe is Hiring

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

FREE Youth MHFA (7/11)

FREE Resilience Training (7/24)

Aetna Summer Worker Safety Series (7/29)

Aetna Summer Worker Safety Series (8/21)

Aetna Summer Worker Safety Series (9/18)

Intergenerational Trauma

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 jgaal@moworks.org with related questions or comments.

July 7, 2025/by Dr. John Gaal

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights June 30th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of June 30, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at the rise in our nation’s gun violence—to calculating your body’s hydration level—to how countries rank regarding Work-Life Balance. This week I would like to take a closer look at a recent—and more than likely disastrous—cut to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Allow me to provide some context. What started out as the (10-digit) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 20 years ago, morphed into the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline around five years ago…with bi-partisan support in DC.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has existed since 2005. In 2020, during his first term, Trump signed legislation designating 988 as the new lifeline number by 2022. That legislation required 988 to provide LGBTQ youth and young adults who call the line with access to “specially trained staff and partner organizations,” noting that queer and trans youth “are more than 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide than their peers, with 1 in 5 LGBTQ youth and more than 1 in 3 transgender youth reporting attempting suicide.”[1]

As noted, the 988 system allowed callers to select counselors who more closely matched their needs. For instance, Press 1 for Veterans; Press 2 for Spanish; and Press 3 for LQBTQ+. Below is an excerpt from a recent interview with AFSP’s Chief Medical Officer.

Like all marginalized populations that have experienced historical and present-day discrimination, LGBTQ+ individuals can experience mistrust or harm when interacting with general mental health systems—related to any number of actions like misgendering, making assumptions, or overt discrimination. 988 Press 3’s specialized counselors are trained in the LGBTQ+ experience and include identity-affirming, trauma-informed approaches, which creates a trusting space for these individuals, which affords more authentic connection, more openness, and perhaps receptivity to the counselor’s expressions of support and recommendations.

In the first year alone, 280,000 LGBTQ+ crisis contacts were served through The Trevor Project’s participation in 988, demonstrating an unmet demand for identity-specific services. Without trusted crisis support, LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to avoid reaching out for help, which may lead to worse mental health outcomes.

Transgender youth face exceptionally high risk. Approximately 26% of trans youth attempted suicide in the past year, compared to 5% to 11% among cisgender youth. What’s more, research has linked anti-trans legislation to a 7% to 72% increase in suicide attempts by trans youth, which is especially concerning given the 988 Press 3 service is ending alongside escalating anti-trans policies and restrictions on gender‑affirming care in 26 states.[2]

So, once again, this nation is at a crossroads. While so-called “Christian leaders” in DC manipulate language to de-humanize others in need of help, those needs do not merely vanish into thin air. To this end, The Trevor Project stands ready to fill this gap in services for the LGBTQ+ community. If you or someone you know seeks assistance, PLEASE visit www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/. And, in the meantime, I highly recommend that you take a couple of minutes to view the related CBS News story below.[3]

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Sources: [1]https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/white-house-proposes-axing-988-suicide-hotline-services-lgbtq-youth-rcna211942

[2] https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/the-loss-of-a-vital-lgbtq-suicide-prevention-resource-in-conversation-with-afsps-christine-yu-moutier-md?ekey=RUtJRDo0ODgyNTJFMC0yNkNBLTQzMEUtQkQxQS1DNTNEODcxREU3NDQ%3D&utm_campaign=emailname&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8ZcGR8kv91UsCfYhwgUPFSOmNOSybQ6bsFh33Ho1HKlKofEX1I9Gd0Qt5w_QoaiqXwbzXUIJ3FfnaqlF5yn8zoD04gTg&_hsmi=368314971&utm_source=hs

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od5r-I4wJnU

Gun Violence Data

AFSP on Loss of LGBTQ+ Access to 988

Narcan: Depths of Dependence

Addiction’s Grip

Heat’s Impact on Your Body

Heat: Protecting Your Mind & Body

Hydration Calculator

Young Adults / Climate Change / Emotions

Countries & Work-Life Balance

Sober Culture

7 Ways to Oxytocin

Another Drug Lord Captured

US Aging Population & Immigration Growth

Tyson & TX Workers’ Strike

MN Nurses’ ULP Strike

NHL/NHLPA Contract Extension?

WNBA / CBA / Union’s Future

Rising Teacher Retirements Stress School Districts

Vets / Trump / Deportations

SCOTUS Leans Towards POTUS

Lone Wolf Calls Out POTUS

Lone Wolf Falls for POTUS

Americans & Iran’s Recourse

Canada’s Hiring Status Law

Will OSHA Revise Heat Rule?

Builders’ Liability / Scaffolding / NY

Canada / Legal Obligations / Digital Platforms

Leaders & Workplace Uncertainty

Less Workers = More Work

Navigating Student Loans

Young College Grads & Mamdani

New Grads / College Value’s / Job Market

Young Adults Cut Back Spending

Gen Z & Less Sex

Judge Halts Job Corps Shutdown

Deportations Impact on US Job Growth

Midwest Meatpacking

What is Superwood?

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

STL / ICE Raids / Rapid Response (7/9)

Missouri Assoc of Addiction Professionals Conference (7/17)

Free QPR Training (7/21)

Cannabis in the Workplace

Mental Health in Construction

FREE Diapers

FREE Meals

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 jgaal@moworks.org with related questions or comments.

June 30, 2025/by Missouri Works Initiative

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights June 23rd

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of June 23rd, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how when it comes to health insurance, women frequently pay more but get less—to Job Corps students are fighting back against the US-DOL’s June 30^th total shutdown—to how young adults are taking up relaxing pastimes (i.e., knitting, etc.), often referred to as Granny hobbies, as escapes from technology. This week I would like to take a closer look at Pope Leo’s view of workers and AI.

As a former business representative for a construction trade union and a practicing Roman Catholic, I became very interested in seeing how the new Pope would continue the good works of his predecessor, Pope Francis. A big part of my curiosity I can attribute to an old friend and arguably one of the best labor history professors to teach in the St. Louis region, the late Dr Lon Smith. Over three decades ago, Lon was the one who explained the importance of Pope Leo XIII as the Pope of the workers. In a time of the Industrial Revolution, the former Pope Leo wrote an encyclical called, Rerum Novarum—Latin for “Of New Things.”[1] His goal was to press governments to pass laws to protect laborers…while supporting capitalism with guardrails.

Nearly 125 years later, Pope Leo XIV spoke to the Cardinals last month wherein he laid out his priorities for the first time, revealing that he had chosen his papal name because of the tech revolution. As he explained, his namesake Leo XIII stood up for the rights of factory workers during the Gilded Age, when industrial robber barons presided over rapid change and extreme inequality.[1]

And yet, it took the US another +40 years to establish national labor laws.

Today, the church offers its trove of social teaching to respond to another industrial revolution and to innovations in the field of artificial intelligence that pose challenges to human dignity, justice and labor.[1]

To this end, it is worth pondering the words of Stancati et al, “President Trump sees the Gilded Age as a golden era to which the US should return, Pope Leo views it as a warning from history.”[1]

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Source: [1]https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/pope-leo-ai-tech-771cca48?st=DjKoT7&reflink=article_gmail_share

US OD Deaths Rise After Recent Decline

Opioids Settlement: Is Life Worth <$3000?

Will Purdue Pharma Get Off for $7.4b?

Round 2: Purdue Pharma Settlement

Ibogaine: Risky Opioids Treatment?

SAMHSA Needs Rescuing

Marijuana & Autism

Vaping’s Impact on Teens

Gas Station Heroin

Employers / Employees / Disease Outbreaks

Turkey: Workers’ Death Watch

Women: Pay More, Get Less

Aging: A Simple Fitness Test

Facing MH Needs in the USA

Family Therapy Retreats

Seniors / Tech / Loneliness

Philly Teachers’ Strike

Fenway Park Strike

Paris Museum Strike

AFT / DNC Fallout

Canada / Bill C-58 / Anti-Scab Law

Trump & PLAs

Pope Leo / Workers’ Rights / AI

Amazon’s Workers & AI

Canada / Dockworkers / Automation

Trump / Trade School Funding / Job Corps

Job Corps Students File Suit

Impact of Shutting Down Job Corps

Nearly 2/3 Look for Side Hustle

America’s Side Hustle

Working Extra Hours

Foreign Students & 2025’s Gestapo?

UK Decriminalizes Abortion

Construction’s Jobsite Culture

Data Destruction

2025 Grads’ Hiring Crisis

Tips on Retaining Employees

Job Passion: Men v Women

Gen Z & Grandma Hobbies

What is ‘Time Poverty’?

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Construction’s Workforce Challenges (6/24)

How to Use Naloxone (Narcan)

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 jgaal@moworks.org with related questions or comments.

June 23, 2025/by Missouri Works Initiative

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights June 16th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of June 16, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how one Dad’s recovery helped others chart new paths—to a rise in boys’ teen suicides resulting from sextortion schemes—to how a handful of female college athletes are fighting for fair compensation.

This week it would be difficult to avoid the proverbial elephant in the room: Yesterday’s parade in DC.

Like it or not, a 250^th anniversary of nearly anything, in most cases, is worth celebrating.[1] The fact that this date coincides with Trump’s 79^th birthday falls to his favor. Which, in a sense, makes this spectacle all the more concerning. Especially when one considers a price tag of >$40m…in a time where cutting govt expenses heads the DC agenda on most any other day in the past 3 months. Not to mention, the fact that there is currently pushback from Republicans regarding the mounting of a plaque that acknowledges the US Capitol Police Officers who served so bravely on Jan 6, 2021.[2]

As a counter-measure, many cities held “No Kings” gatherings across the US during the aforementioned parade on Jun 14, 2025. Be they cowards, kings, traitors, or patriots, it does not take a political scientist to see that the USA is approaching a tipping point. How does a just society square holding a multi-million-dollar parade, on one hand, while cutting VA benefits, on the other hand?[3] It appears history does repeat itself if you consider the famous words (C. 1858) of the then candidate for US President, US Senator Abraham Lincoln: “A house divided against itself, cannot stand.” In other words, maybe it is time for less narcissism and more altruism.

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Sources: [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UWWSlJwnJM

[2] https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/police-officers-lawsuit-installing-jan-6-plaque-at-u-s-capitol/

[3] https://www.americanprogress.org/article/cuts-to-the-va-will-leave-veterans-without-the-benefits-they-were-promised/

Fatherhood & Sobriety

Prioritizing MH & Well-being

Sextortion / Teens / Suicide

Addiction / Recovery / Jails

Ibogaine / TX / Clinical Trials

Pig Butchering Scams

Construction ODs / PA

Creating a Neurodiverse Workforce

Decline in Maternal MH

Practicing Gratitude

Retirement & Rising HC Costs

A Hospice Hero in Africa

AI / Wearable Tech / Safety

Lessons Learned: Growing a New Limb

SAG-AFTRA’s New Agreement?

Chicago Police Recruits & Pay

Lawsuit: Hanging a Plaque in DC?

Streamlining US-DOL?

Ex-DOGE Engineer Speaks Out

Women College Athletes: Fair Share?

Gender Pay Gap Narrows?

More PT Work?

Construction: A Fulfilling Career?

Closing the Skills Gap?

Fulbright Board Resigns

Islam’s Growth

Gen Z Returning to Religion

Test Your AI Knowledge

Canada’s Wildfires

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

US-DOL Prevailing Wage (6/25-26)

Youth & Grieving (7/15)

VA & Suicide Prevention

TBIs: A New Era

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 jgaal@moworks.org with related questions or comments.

June 16, 2025/by Dr. John Gaal

Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights June 9th

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of June 9, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how construction overdose deaths remain high and yet DC plans to cut services to help reduce those numbers—to how dating apps are negatively impacting your MH—to the ‘selective’ repeal of our newest holiday: Juneteenth. This week I would like to share with you some thoughts on my recent visit to Scotland and England.

Some of you may know that last fall I undertook a research project focusing on suicide postvention in the construction industry. During the survey phase I came across a researcher from England (Dr John Whitebrook) and practitioner from Scotland (Dr John Gibson) who have done extensive work in the postvention arena. As luck would have it, I was able to participate in a suicide researchers’ conference—in Glasgow on Jun 2-3—attending my English contact’s presentation and poster session. This was followed by a 2-day training on postvention in the workplace—in Dunblane on Jun 4-5—delivered by my contact’s charity (The Canmore Trust) in Scotland. On Jun 6, I then moved on to Canterbury, Kent, England to present my findings, to date, regarding my aforementioned research at the Canterbury Cathedral. Many thanks to the progressive leaders at Warnborough College.

As I reflect on this past week, my conversation with the Day 2 keynote speaker, in Glasgow, gave me great hope that our industry is heading in the right direction. Dr Rosie Allister first started her career as a veterinarian. However, after years in the industry performing surgery, she identified a need that required attention: Suicides of fellow vets. She went back to earn a PhD on this issue and now oversees VetLife, a vet helpline that has experienced a ten-fold increase in call volume over the past decade. In addition, she trains, lectures, and advises on a variety of related topics. One being a postvention guide for vets.[1] This can serve as a model guide for workplace suicide postvention for other industries…including construction!

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Source: [1] https://www.vetlife.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Suicide-postvention-guidance_16May22.pdf

Karoshi: Workers’ Unspoken Killer

Construction / Jobsites / Drug ODs

Men: Face Stress ~ Avoid Help

Loneliness / Obesity / Smoking

Chatbots & YOU

RFK Jr’s Cuts Impact on Addiction & MH

Tech Workers / Psychedelics / Therapists

Manager / Workers / Better Communication

Resilience & Childhood Trauma

Right to Die?

Dating Apps & MH

UFCW’s New Contract

Saudi / World Cup / ILO / Workers’ Rights

Scottish Water Works Strike?

Scotland University Strike?

Reversing Juneteenth?

Wellness & Well-being Highlights June 2nd

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of June 2nd, 2025

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog looks at how another construction trade union embraces technology in order to provide Mental Health services to its members—to various agencies providing clean-up and MH services to the STL communities impacted by the May 16^th tornado—to AI’s impact on collective bargaining agreements. This week I would like to share with you some thoughts on the concept of self-compassion.

During, and for a short time after, COVID, a number of sources weighed in on the issue of self- care. To set the record straight, self-care is NOT selfish. One of the most clear and concise examples of self-care is before you takeoff on a commercial airliner the flight attendant covers their firm’s safety procedures. One of their final statements refers to a loss of oxygen and the mask falling down from above. Who do they tell you to put that mask on first? You! Why? Because if you cannot take care of yourself, you will not be in a position to assist others. However, self-care is NOT self-compassion.

A past instructor once told my class, “We all have a prosecuting attorney in our head but few of us have a defense attorney.” To this end, self-care is the set of skills (i.e., mindfulness, yoga, deep breathing, etc.) we utilize to build self-compassion. Studies show that those of us who display self-compassion while under stress, are more resilient. Resiliency is the ability to bounce back and learn from stressful events…it is not a matter of simply coping! Why? Because coping can take on 2 forms: good or bad. Good coping tends to lead towards building resiliency. While bad coping can lead to bad habits, addiction, etc.

Caron posits, “Self-compassion is the process of expressing support, warmth and understanding toward yourself during difficult times—and recognizing that you aren’t alone in your imperfections.”[1] So how do you develop self-compassion? Here are a few tips:

Say kind things to yourself every day: Stop being so hard on yourself!
Take a compassion break: Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture (RAIN)
Pay it forward: Part of caring for yourself means caring for your community.

This reminds me of what I learned while studying trauma. Too often in the past, we heard ‘What is wrong with you’ vs ‘What happened to you.’ To this end, I encourage you to read the article linked below in an effort to move from ‘I am a mistake’ to ‘I made a mistake.’

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: https://moworksinitiative.org/category/worker-wellness-news/

Source: [1]https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/29/well/mind/self-compassion.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

MH in Construction: EVERY Day vs JUST May

Iron Workers & MH App

Roadwork / Accidents / Safety

PreventEd / Jefferson Co / Recovery Community Ctr

Adults & Autism

STL Agency / May 16 Tornado / MH Care

Samaritans Purse & STL Tornado Recovery

Why Self-compassion?

Designing Safety into Projects

MH in the Workplace