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Archive for category: Worker Wellness News

Work life balance
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights January 15

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of January 15, 2024

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from the dangers of nanoplastics in bottled water & ultra-processed foods in our diets to a 5-part podcast series on Fentanyl’s impact within the community that ran this past week on IL-NPR to how DBE goals and DEI efforts are being challenged at various public/private levels. Today, I wish to shed some light on the importance of doing your homework before using drugs…be it for medicinal or recreational purposes. As with so many aspects of our lives, products, technology, etc. entail good points and bad points. For your sake or that of a family member or friend, consider the following: 1) To suggest that the potency of marijuana today, in general, is anywhere close to what it was four decades ago is a bit naïve. Not to mention, who uses it and how much is being used. It is no secret that human brains continue to develop until about 25 years old. Therefore, when youth “experiment” with such a substance, results can be life-altering. Especially if one considers that when it comes to young men in their early 20s, misuse may trigger other serious mental health issues. 2) Over the past couple of years, more information concerning the positive impact of psychedelics on PTSD has been in the media. Please keep in mind, these findings are based on research that was performed under “laboratory” conditions…not on the street! So, while there seems to be some promising press regarding advancements in once taboo drugs, it behooves each and every one of us to consult our doctors for advice…BEFORE we begin self-medicating based on a 30-second clip we heard on last night’s news. 3) Not yet convinced? Then please take the time to read the article below on “Gas Station Heroin.” Caveat Emptor: Just because a product is sold over-the-counter does not mean it is safe for consumption!

 

Sources: https://www.wsj.com/us-news/marijuana-depression-psychosis-869490d1?st=fh45daxjhmnd5jm&reflink=share_mobilewebshare https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/12/health/marijuana-fda-dea.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/10/health/gas-station-heroin-tianeptine-addiction.html?unlocked_article_code=1.M00.1Guj.mOpn58JId6aR&smid=em-share

 

Red Cross declares blood shortage

 

STL / Cold Weather / Shelter Beds

 

Long flu

 

Bottled water: Microplastics vs Nanoplastics

 

META & Teen restrictions???

 

Smartphone addiction

 

Dry January vs Damp January

 

Marijuana / Teens / Depression

 

Marijuana: FDA vs DEA

 

Sam Quinones on the origins of the opioid and fentanyl crisis | The 21st Show | Illinois Public Media

 

The state of the fentanyl crisis in Illinois | The 21st Show | Illinois Public Media

 

Harm reduction efforts in Illinois help keep people who use substances safe — and alive | The 21st Show | Illinois Public Media

 

The politics of opioid overdoses and fentanyl | The 21st Show | Illinois Public Media

 

A story of recovery and hope — and a look at solutions to the opioid crisis | The 21st Show | Illinois Public Media

 

Gas Station Heroin

 

When addiction treatment is not voluntary

 

B Farve on addiction

 

Psychedelics & PTSD

 

New insights to MDMA & PTSD

 

Medicare & MH

 

IL takes new approach to MH counseling

 

UT recommends MH licensing changes

 

More on US suicide prevention

 

Why are more young people getting cancer?

 

Fitness motivation

 

5 Tips for a Fresh 2024

 

Bikes for the homeless

 

Homeless shelter investigation

 

Doulas / STL / Languages

 

Impact of increase in dangerous driving

 

Reframing stress

 

Rock climbing & Depression

 

Friends & Fights

 

Ultra-processed foods & Health

 

More on sleep

 

Sleep / Drs / Bears

 

FDA / Youth Asthma / Despair

 

A memorial for delivery workers

 

VW & UAW

 

Trades’ labor shortage in 2024

 

Construction & DBE goals

 

Have DEI efforts been silenced?

 

DOL’s upcoming IC ruling

 

Remote workers & Promotions?

 

Tech & UK Postal workers wrongly accused

 

Teacher Apprenticeships

 

Planes & safe seating

 

Canada & Challenges of foreign students

 

Do youth value college?

 

CA attempts to ban youth football

 

More on Safety helmets vs Hard hats

 

 

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Talking to your Dr about work-related hazards

 

Healing conversations & Suicide LOSS

 

 

 

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.

 

January 15, 2024/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2024-01-15 16:53:082024-01-16 17:03:33Wellness & Well-being Highlights January 15
Work life balance
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 31

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of December 31, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics concerning an effort in the UK to bring people to together again via strategically-placed public benches to encourage and improve communications to how more employers are providing wellness benefits via AI (artificial intelligence) to how overachieving & overthinking can actually harm our physical and mental health. Today, I wish to shed some light on how, by next March, Canada may be providing medical-assisted death for their citizens with severe mental illness who opt-in. While some healthcare professionals are in favor of allowing people to die on their own terms with respect to intolerable suffering; others posit that the Canadian healthcare system is sorely underfunded when it comes to mental health which must be addressed since it is in high demand! One doctor indicated that it may be years before seeing improvement when treating complex cases. So, “hopelessness” plays a major role…as it does when it comes to suicide. However, it appears some safeguards are in place:

  • 90-day wait period; and
  • Approval from 2 independent doctors (including a specialist in the patient’s condition).

If fully enacted, Canada will be one of less than a dozen countries around the world that permits this controversial procedure. To that end, the ethics involving “death by doctor” and “dying with dignity” continue to be debated and are certain to flow south onto the USA’s radar.

 

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/27/world/canada/medical-assisted-death-mental-illness.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

 

Lessons in Kindness

 

Grief / Compassion / Love

 

2024 Medicare’s MH Benefits

 

UK’s “Chatty” Benches

 

Employers / AI / Wellness Chatbots

 

Canada / MH / Medical-Assisted Death

 

Rotary / Narcan / Community

 

Canada’s threat to US: Fentanyl Labs

 

NYC & Housing Homeless

 

Tailoring donations & Homelessness

 

Outreach workers / London / Homeless Crisis

 

Genetics & Dementia

 

ALS & Hope

 

Why stimulate your Vagus nerve?

 

Back Pain & PR Therapy

 

A new treatment for Tinnitus?

 

Stop OVERdoing it!

 

Depression & Memory Loss

 

Update: RSV Vaccine

 

STL Emergency Contraceptives

 

More on SLU Nurses strike

 

How US’ broken labor law may impact recent gains

 

Recent NLRB election wins do not = First contract

 

Children / Immigrants / US Labor Audits

 

Foreign nurses in the US struggle

 

Anti-war Nuns

 

Long Term Care Planning

 

China / Young adults / Tanking economy

 

The US college Gender Gap

 

MO & Expanding I-70

 

Blacksmithing as a Hobby

 

 

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

QPR Suicide Prevention Training

 

STL Co Library / Headspace / Free

 

 

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.

 

January 2, 2024/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2024-01-02 16:39:322024-01-16 17:03:35Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 31
Work life balance
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 24

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of December 24, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics concerning a government report indicating that work-related overdose deaths increased by 13% in 2022 (from 2021…continuing the rise since 2012) to how smaller cities are confronting our country’s homelessness dilemma to how gun shops are beginning to play a vital role in suicide prevention efforts— putting time and distance between people in crisis and lethal means—by providing safe storage. Today, I wish to shed some light on the concept of NOT ABOUT US WITHOUT US. Hardly a week goes by where we do not hear or see another story in the media pointing to workforce shortages. Management 101 suggests that in order to obtain organizational cooperation, one needs to ensure that all stakeholders have input. This is why I point to Ireland’s “RU OK?” Program that addresses the mental health needs of their apprentices designed around “their” involvement. It is also good to see that informed and innovative young adults are not waiting for others to pave a better pathway as seen by the new Mental Health app recently developed by 2 teens. And, finally, we get a glimpse at how HOP (Human Organization Performance) safety principles are striving to establish a more proactive focus on employee well-being. Wherein, employees feel safe to seek help without fear of repercussions. In the end, this form of collaboration can contribute to safer and more productive workplaces…which leads to better retention…which creates an environment that attracts more workers!

 

Sources: https://merrionstreet.ie/en/news-room/news/minister_harris_and_the_apprenticeship_council_launch_r_u_ok_a_wellbeing_and_mental_health_initiative_for_apprentices_in_ireland.169921.shortcut.html

https://www.mprnews.org/episode/2023/12/18/two-minnesota-teens-create-new-app-to-address-youth-mental-health-crisis

https://www.ehstoday.com/health/article/21279553/a-collaborative-approach-to-substance-abuse-policies?o_eid=4597B7977223E4A&oly_enc_id=4597B7977223E4A&rdx.ident[pull]=omeda|4597B7977223E4A&utm_campaign=CPS231219023&utm_medium=email&utm_source=OZ+EHS+Today+Daily+Update

 

BLS Safety Data 2023 (1)

 

BLS Safety Data 2023 (2)

 

More on Safety Helmets (1)

 

More on Safety Helmets (2)

 

Ireland / Apprenticeship / MH Initiative

 

Teens create MH app

 

Are MH courts missing the mark?

 

PDMP – Missouri is #50 (Last)

 

More on Psychedelics

 

Collaborative SUD/OUD Policies

 

Dangers of Xylazine: The 4th Wave

 

Testing wastewater / Drugs / NM Schools

 

Hemp Gummies & Kids

 

Narcan: A couple’s personal mission

 

Smaller Cities & Homelessness

 

Suicide / Gun Shops / Safe Storage

 

Another Mass Shooting…This time not in the USA

 

Suicide & Veterinarians

 

Having intrusive / obsessive thoughts?

 

Sleep: Married & Separate Beds

 

Cold Water Therapy

 

Christmas’ Awe: Religion v Spirituality

 

Pope & Same Sex Blessing

 

The need for social connection

 

Grief during the holidays

 

Your brain & Nostalgia

 

Housecleaning Therapy

 

Trucks / Parking / Highway Safety

 

Cell Phone / Life Savings / Safety Tips

 

More on Labor & 2023’s Gains

 

US Steel / Granite City / Japan

 

AB’s Janitors

 

RAs / Colleges / Unions

 

More on Banks & Unions

 

NLRB & College Football

 

Trauma: Epstein’s ongoing Damage

 

Impact of PRESENTEEISM

 

Why are fewer young men in college?

 

On Men & using Paternity Benefits

 

Retirement & DEI

 

China / Youth / Dimming Economy

 

Asia’s Scam Labor Camp

 

Tipping’s Backlash

 

Companies / Apprenticeships  / Labor Shortages

 

More on DOL’s Apprenticeship Rulemaking

 

College scholarships: Need v Merit

 

Update: Student loans (1)

 

Update: Student Loans (2)

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

LOSS: Suicide Postvention

 

Canada’s Supreme Court ruling’s impact on Construction Buyers

 

 

 

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.

 

January 2, 2024/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2024-01-02 16:37:152024-01-16 17:03:36Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 24
Work life balance
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 18

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of December 18, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics concerning the rise of homelessness across the USA, in general, but more specifically regarding our Vets to how a prominent pharmacist promotes the crucial role NARCAN now plays in our country to how some common US military training exercises have not only been detrimental to soldiers’ brains but society as well. Today, I wish to shed some light on a recent announcement from OSHA that mandates ALL of their construction inspectors begin using Safety Helmets vs hard hats on job sites. As noted previously in this blog, according to the CDC (2016), from 2003-10, TBIs (traumatic brain injuries) made up nearly 25% of all construction fatalities…the most of ANY category! Let’s hope that by OSHA modeling this evidenced-based behavior others across the industry will soon follow. I personally thank the likes of Alberici, McCarthy, Milwaukee Tool, and ASCC for taking the lead on this key safety matter! Change always seems to bring about pushback…due to fear of the unknown. Over time, the industry has and will adapt not unlike it did for drug testing, safety glasses, safety vests, etc. As a retired Carpenter, speaking from experience, I wish hearing protection was mandatory and enforced +40 years ago.

 

Sources: https://blog.bluebeam.com/safety-helmets-hard-hats-construction/

https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/24824-osha-staff-switch-to-safety-helmets-from-hard-hats

https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/trade/12112023

 

US Homelessness hits New Record

 

Rise in Homelessness for Vets

 

MH services lacking in MO jails (1)

 

MH services in MO jails lacking (2)

 

Harry’s & Men’s MH

 

Seniors / Pickleball / MH

 

Book Bans / Librarians / MH

 

NYC / Teens / School ban on Cell Phones

 

NYC / Teens / Free MH app

 

How Ketamine alters the brain

 

UMSL / Addiction Team / Opioid Epidemic

 

Is NARCAN the new CPR?

 

Children / Fentanyl / Exposure Deaths

 

ODs in School

 

A mother’s journey to save her child

 

Safe disposal of unused medications

 

Opioids & Suicide

 

Opioid OD Victims’ 2nd trauma: Being cheated out of lawsuit settlements

 

Older Men & Suicide

 

Living longer & Alzheimers

 

Postpartum Depression Treatment

 

On Giving & Care for Others

 

On Loss & Holidays

 

Is life expectancy increasing?

 

DANGER: Children & Melatonin

 

War Vets & Sexuality

 

Having a Mental Block?

 

Bragging about your career

 

Adults & Spirituality

 

Unions BIG wins in 2023

 

US steel & Back Pay in IL

 

Labor / Apple / India

 

Megafactories / Workers / Recruiting

 

AI & Energy Consumption

 

Educators go door-to-door

 

Gen Z & Trust in the Workplace

 

KC Builders Assoc New President

 

More on Roofing & Child Labor

 

Coal Miners & Black Lung

 

US-DOL rulemaking: Registered Apprenticeship Programs

 

Army / Blasts / Brains

 

Safety Helmets in Construction (1)

 

Safety Helmets in Construction (2)

 

Safety Helmets in Construction (3)

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Suicide Loss & Healing

 

Coping strategies for grief & loss

 

On Surviving a Suicide Loss

 

Safe Sleep & Your Baby

 

New Study: Conversations on Access to Lethal Means

 

Meditation & Post-Concussion Healing

 

MO’s Good Sam Law

 

 

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.

 

December 18, 2023/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-12-18 16:15:172024-01-16 17:03:38Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 18
Work life balance
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 11

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of December 11, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics concerning how suicide deaths increased in 2022—especially when it comes to elderly men—to the matter of the Sacklers bankruptcy move to protect their personal assets now landing before the US Supreme Court to how a small medical trial shows some promise for people who suffered traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) by means of an implanted electronic stimulation device. Today, I wish to shed some light on the topic of PISA test scores. Earlier this week, the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development) released the findings from the Program for International Student Assessment in 2022. In general, this is a test that samples 15-year-olds’ subject matter knowledge (reading, science, and math) in nearly 40 counties across the globe. The OECD last tested students in 2018. Needless to say, COVID-19 is suspected to have played a large role in the decline in learning among most countries’ students with the exception of Canada, Estonia, and Japan (all of which saw improvement in each subject area). More specifically, while US students held their own when it came to reading and science their math scores decreased by 13 points (20 points is considered to be equivalent to a year’s worth of learning)…ranking the US 28th out of 37. So, why is this topic important to us as an industry, community, or nation? Because experts suggest that math nurtures critical thinking and problem-solving skills…essential for children’s mental development. In essence, decreases in our students’ math scores may not only put our nation at a competitive technological disadvantage but can also result in overwhelming implications for mental health. If the pandemic has taught us a few lessons, one is that those in the workforce development space can no longer afford to silo hard skills and soft skills!

 

Sources: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/pisa-2022-results-volume-i_53f23881-en

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/pisa-2022-results-volume-ii_a97db61c-en

 

Children / War / Trauma

 

MH during the Holidays

 

2022: Record for Suicide Deaths

 

Guns & Suicide

 

Elderly Men & Suicide

 

MH / Pilots / License

 

Scotland & MH

 

Opioid Epidemic / Treatment / Racial Disparity

 

US Senate & Opioid Legislation

 

Addiction & Cinema

 

US Treasury on Fentanyl & Mexico-China

 

US Treasury on Fentanyl & Mexico

 

Sacklers / Bankruptcy / US Supreme Court (1)

 

Sacklers  / Bankruptcy / US Supreme Court (2)

 

Sacklers / Bankruptcy / US Supreme Court (3)

 

Sacklers / Bankruptcy / US Supreme Court (4)

 

Sacklers / Bankruptcy / US Supreme Court (5)

 

Fentanyl / AI / Border Patrol

 

Are states striving to distribute Narcan?

 

ATL bars & Narcan

 

Canada & Narcan

 

More on not meeting demand for MH care

 

AI & Medicine: How to prevent mistakes?

 

More on FB and predators

 

Middle school boys / Falling behind / Help

 

Addressing Work-Life Balance

 

Women & Gratitude

 

Relationship advice

 

Why marriages fall apart?

 

Causes of Fainting

 

More on Magic Mushrooms

 

Ancient healing in modern world

 

Meh: Persistent depressive Disorder

Costs of LT care

 

Profanity: Cost/Benefit

 

Hair treatment & Cancer

 

Good vs Bad Vision Habits

 

Hearing Loss: More than loud noise!

 

Tinnitus & Brain’s coping

 

TBIs & E-stimulation (1)

 

TBIs & E-stimulation (2)

 

PTSD & Traumatic Memories

 

CTE: The Heisman Prize?

 

Labor’s Good Year

 

NLRB & STL settlement

 

More on Doctors & Labor Unions

 

MO Cannabis Workers & Unions

 

Teamsters strike / DHL / Cincinnati

 

SWA Flight Attendants Reject Contract Offer

Danes join Swedes in Tesla strike

 

US-DOL / Biden / Labor support

 

Germany & Craft Apprenticeships

 

Canada’s Supreme Court / Construction Safety / Owners

 

Women & NJ State Police

 

Setbacks & Your Career

 

Pivoting & Success

 

COVID & Early Retirements

 

PISA test scores (1)

 

PISA test scores (2)

 

PISA test scores (3)

 

Students & Personal Finance

 

More on student debt (1)

 

More on student debt (2)

 

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Developing a MH program

 

 

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.

 

December 11, 2023/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-12-11 15:23:032024-01-16 17:03:39Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 11
Work life balance
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 4

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of December 4, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics concerning how people can learn to grow after experiencing trauma (PTG) to the important roles that women play in the workforce to how AI (artificial intelligence) can serve both good and evil in our society. Today, I wish to shed some light on the topic of child labor. Have you ever considered to how our love for sweets—specifically chocolate—might fuel the child labor “industry” in developing countries? Sadly, one does not need to look overseas to find politicians and companies fueling this desire to exploit children…all in the name of cheap labor. Recently, the state of Florida placed into consideration the lowering of the legal age one can be to work on a construction job site. This is a flagrant violation of the federal rules under the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) which prohibits 16-year-olds from performing tasks deemed too dangerous…like ROOFING. If one looks closer at the FL proposal (SB460), it does not take too much to uncover the bait-and-switch at hand. Wrapping this legislation in the need to address a worker shortage is nothing short of duplicity…furthermore, it comes at a very high price. One that Frances Perkins confronted over 100 years ago!* To suggest that minors with OSHA 10 certifications perform commercial and residential roofing work, as long as a worker who is 21 or older with two years of experience and the same certification supervises undermines both US-DOL safety and apprenticeship protocols long-established across the USA. Case in point, it takes a skilled roofer ~4 years to complete a registered apprenticeship program. Last I checked, current US child labor laws only allow for exceptions when someone under the age of 18—working in/around dangerous settings—be under CONSTANT supervision of a SKILLED tradesperson. So, once again, I ask: When will those who are trusted with the care of our future STOP putting profits over people?

 

Sources: www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/children-harvesting-cocoa-used-by-major-corporations-ghana/

www.constructiondive.com/news/florida-bill-minors-roofing-work/700823/

*https://www.osha.gov/aboutosha/40-years/trianglefactoryfire

https://rooferslocal2.com/apprenticeship.aspx

 

A Mom’s War Against Opioids

 

Combatting opioid ODs w/ Narcan

 

Pushing to mandate Narcan on US commercial flights

 

URGENT: We need YOUR voice!

 

MH / Hair Salons / Africa

 

MH & Lost Working Days

 

PTG: Finding Joy after Tragedy

 

Helping parents prevent childhood trauma

 

Questions for Childhood Trauma

 

Meta & Teen Vulnerabilities

 

Facebook & Pedophiles

 

Are Google’s abuse policies flawed?

 

Farmers / Pesticides / Parkinsons

 

Replacing Lead Water Pipes

 

Does cancer treatment cause cancer?

 

When women don’t work….

 

Women MH / UK / Prisons

 

An Eastern European Cold Remedy

 

Loss & Holidays

 

Coping w/ Loneliness

 

A Dopamine Detox

 

Exercise & Vagus Nerve

 

Forgetfulness & ST Memory

 

Dogs / Drugs / Longevity

 

Seniors & Affordable Housing

 

Why we fight about money?

Why do we seem so disconnected?

 

The Psychological Autopsy

 

Fighting ALS

 

Construction ULPs on the rise

 

Update: Portland Teachers’ Strike

 

Update: NYC Ballet Strike

 

Update: Granite City Steel Union

 

Child Labor & Cocoa

 

FL seeking to allow minors on Roofing projects

 

Update: McKee & STL Carpenters

 

DANGER: Impact of Air Traffic Controller shortage

 

As promised, UAW launches organizing drive

 

The passing of the 1st woman US Supreme Court Justice

 

The cost of E-Waste

 

New Apprenticeship Programs for HC

 

AI’s first birthday

 

AI in the workplace

 

More on AI

 

Ag & Tech

 

The War on Drugs & Infiltrating Cartels

 

Is US desire for Avocados helping Mexican Drug Cartels?

 

From incarceration to entrepreneurship

 

Is your college major useless?

 

Military / Rocket Launchers / Head Injuries

 

Kathy Lee and Cody Gifford on Frank’s CTE

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Digital Well-being

 

Men’s MH & Stigma

 

Building Resiliency

 

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.

 

December 4, 2023/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-12-04 17:24:242024-01-16 17:03:41Wellness & Well-being Highlights December 4
Work life balance
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights November 26

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of November 26, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from a former First Lady’s groundbreaking work on mental health issues to how a mayor in Canada is tackling MH and homelessness at the local level to how companies and unions are re-considering the “usefulness” of PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers). Today, I wish to shed some light on the topic of The Alliance for Naloxone Safety in the Workplace (ANSW). Since last January, a team of construction industry subject matter experts, across the USA, have been designing and developing a database consisting of policies, training materials, resources, etc. to advocate for the safe bringing of Naloxone (Narcan) on construction jobsites nationwide. I am proud to say we just recently launched the website for your review and usage.* Rationale: As I have mentioned in previous blogs, the CDC indicates that this industry is #1 when it comes to opioids misuse! In fact, in 2020, NYC lost nearly 300 construction workers due to overdoses. By now, we ALL should have First Aid kits and AED devices on our jobsites. Why not Narcan? Please share this information with other sectors of our economy as you see fit. Thank you!

 

Sources: *www.ANSW.org

https://www.constructiondive.com/news/nyc-overdose-deaths-construction-new-york-city/699916/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202023-11-20%20Construction%20Dive%20Newsletter%20%5Bissue:56621%5D&utm_term=Construction%20Dive

 

The passing of a Mental Health champion

 

The impact of pollution

 

Vets & Toxic Exposures

 

Farmworkers / Cancer / Pesticides

 

Teen boys / Snapchat / Scam

 

Childhood Trauma

 

NYC / MH / System Breakdowns

 

More on Addiction & Stigma

 

Fentanyl Ring Bust

 

OD Deaths & Pregnancy

 

ODs Deaths in NYC Construction

 

OD Prevention / Healing Grants / Philly

 

Fentanyl: Just Say KNOW

 

OK considers expanding MH licensing

 

MH in the Construction Industry

 

NHL Player’s MH Leave

 

Canadian Mayor / MH / Homelessness

 

US Supreme Court / Sacklers / Divisive Settlement

 

Grief & Mourning

 

The Wind Phone

 

Horses & Therapy

 

Gratitude & Well-being

 

Dementia & Menopause

 

Dementia & Sleep

 

Sleep & Stress

 

Sleep Habits

 

On Forgiveness

 

Walking v Running

 

On Colds

 

Quick stretches & Stress

 

Weight gain & Anti-depressants

 

Wages & Happiness

 

ACA & Dental Care?

 

The need to diversify HC studies

 

The American Dream: Out of reach for too many

 

MO & Min Wage

 

A Bankers Union?

 

UK’s Black Friday Strike

 

John Oliver: Dollar Stores

 

UAW Strike on Construction Industry

 

VA stops Vet Foreclosures

 

Re-thinking DB pensions

 

Re-thinking PBMs

 

The BEST airport restroom

 

Coaxing kids back to school post-COVID

 

Is college worth it?

 

Update: Students loans (1)

 

Update: Student loans (2)

 

Youth / Sports / Concussions (PBS)

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Narcan in the Construction Industry

 

The New Drug Talk

 

CALM (Conversations on Access to Lethal Means) Training

 

QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention Training

 

Free MHFA (Adult & Youth) courses

 

Workplace Wellness Resource Center

 

 

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.

 

November 27, 2023/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-11-27 18:40:432024-01-16 17:03:42Wellness & Well-being Highlights November 26
Work life balance
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights November 19

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of November 19, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics concerning how the gap has widen between men and women’s life expectancy (mainly due to the opioids crisis) to labor’s return of utilizing the Social Gospel to a plea for those of you over the age of 40 who played tackle football or soccer (at ANY level) to participate in a survey. Today, I wish to shed some light on the topic of the misconduct in our nation’s capital. Whether it is a Congressman misusing campaign funds for personal grooming or Congressmen pushing and stoving in the hallways or a US Senator challenging a witness to a fist fight during a recent hearing, I would say third-graders do not even act this immature…but that would be an insult to third-graders! A true leader leads by example. And, let’s not forget that leadership begins at the top. To this end, we have more than one US Supreme Court Justice who has played fast and loose with what is legal vs what is ethical regarding the taking “gifts” from “donors” whose cases may one day appear before them. Allowing this bad behavior to continue without establishing laws with severe consequences does little to invoke confidence in the large, lower echelon of our increasingly haves and have-nots’ society. Closing thought: What would have our forefathers said about those people entrusted with enforcing rules not being held to the same standard? Possibly: “…when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.”*

 

Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/14/us/politics/supreme-court-ethics-code-clarence-thomas-sotomayor.html?searchResultPosition=2

*https://www.armytimes.com/off-duty/2018/07/03/why-did-the-us-declare-independence-from-britain/

 

Men’s Life Expectancy

 

Gender Disparities & Men

 

More on Mass Shootings

 

Polysubstances & Addiction

 

Is Decriminalizing Drugs Working?

 

Science of Suicide Prevention

 

Suicide Prevention Annual Report

 

What are Mental Health Days @ Work?

 

MH Friendly Benefits

 

Do Employee Wellness Programs Work?

 

Long Waits for Ambulance Service

Kids / Crisis / LT Residential Treatment

 

Depression & Weight Management

 

Botox & Mood

 

Urgent or PCP or ER?

 

Safer Falling Method for Seniors?

 

Processed Foods & Healthy Diet

 

Lower Back Pain & Non-surgery

 

Aging & Romance

 

Breaking up w/ Friends

 

More on Financial Wellness

 

Long COVID & Fog

 

SB Workers & Red Cup

 

“Places for People” Union Drive

 

UAW Vote to Ratify Contracts

 

Hyundai raises wages

 

The Social Gospel

VA halts foreclosures

 

Infrastructure spending funds 40k projects so far

 

An “unethical” Supreme Court? (1)

 

An “unethical” Supreme Court? (2)

 

Why “shop classes” matter!

 

Youth / Sports / CTE

 

Head Impact Trauma Survey

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

National Apprenticeship Week

 

STL LEAN’s Labor Peers

 

Student Guide (Working during College)

 

 

 

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.

November 20, 2023/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-11-20 17:51:052024-01-16 17:03:44Wellness & Well-being Highlights November 19
Work life balance
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights November 13

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of November 13, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics concerning how hospital emergency departments are taking a more active role in addressing adult suicide issues to how thunderstorms may be linked to asthma to how the diving tactics of a specific fish may help researchers better understand the science of concussions. Today, I wish to shed some light on the topic of how unions helped establish the middle-class by raising incomes and improving the work environment. As noted in the lead article linked below, 80% of workers cited that their job satisfaction is associated to non-wage benefits. To this end, since the 1940s, unions have played a large part in securing fringe benefits for workers which, in turn, has improved the well-being of union (directly) and non-union (indirectly) workers and their families. Not convinced? Then, consider how the recent negotiations between the UAW and the Big 3 have positively impacted workers—here and abroad—at firms like Toyota, Honda, Subaru, and Tesla! More importantly, when it comes to workplace fairness, “Unions promote within-firm equality by adopting explicit anti-discrimination measures, supporting anti-discrimination legislation and enforcement, and promoting wage-setting practices that are less susceptible to implicit bias.”*

 

Please check out the rest of this week’s blog: moworksinitiative.org/blog

 

Sources: * https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/labor-unions-and-the-us-economy

https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/toyota-gives-most-of-its-u-s-auto-factory-workers-9-pay-bump-following-uaw-gains-in-detroit-123664ff?mod=Searchresults_pos3&page=1

https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/honda-gives-u-s-factory-workers-11-pay-bump-following-uaw-wins-in-detroit-eb484398?reflink=integratedwebview_share

https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/tesla-raises-wages-for-german-workers-amid-union-pressure-9f916fe8?reflink=integratedwebview_share

 

Women / Military / Power & Violence

 

MH / Deployed Troops / Evacuations

 

Vets / Injuries & Sexuality

 

Children / MH / Hospitals

 

ER Inventions & Adult Suicide

Honoring Jose’s work

 

OSHA’s bilingual Safety PSAs

 

HC workers role & Opioid crisis

 

Fentanyl-laced Mail

 

Raising MH issues via PSA

 

Friends / Industry / Community

 

T-storms & Asthma

 

Ketamine & Depression

 

Ketamine & Pain

 

Fed’s RFW Toolkit

 

Sound healers

 

Babies & Syphilis

 

On ending TB

 

Loneliness / Isolation / Death

 

Dogs & Longer Lives

 

Exercise & Sore muscles

 

Thai Chi & Mental Sharpness

 

On People Who Lie

 

SAD & DST

 

Labor unions & US economy

 

Update: Actors strike

 

Tesla / Germany / Wages

 

UAW & Foreign Plants

 

Honda’s Pay bump

 

Toyota’s Pay bump

 

Vegas hotel workers’ tentative agreement

 

Garment workers clash

 

On Presenteeism

 

Update: Pilot Safety

 

Reverse Mentoring

 

Hybrid work & New normal

 

AI in the Classroom

 

Vets / Loans / Foreclosures

 

Knowing when to retire

 

Update: Davis-Bacon lawsuit

 

Jim Kelly’s Career & Conversion

 

Bomb blasts & Impairment

 

More on Safety Helmets

 

Kingfisher & Concussions

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Empathy & Apprenticeship

 

Workplace Wellness Case Study

 

CALM Training

 

Navigating Today’s Technology

November 15, 2023/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-11-15 20:29:132024-01-16 17:03:46Wellness & Well-being Highlights November 13
Work life balance
Worker Wellness News

Wellness & Well-being Highlights November 6

Wellness & Well-being Highlights

for the

Week of November 6, 2023

This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics concerning how the change from Daylight Savings Time physically and mentally influences your life to about how marijuana may do more harm than good when it comes to anxiety to how ride-share companies have been called out for issues related to wage theft. Today, I wish to shed some light on the topic of understaffing pharmacies across our communities. Have you been to a neighborhood pharmacy lately? It is not a stretch to suggest that what you will find is akin to 1920s sweatshop conditions! Too often, I have observed 1 pharmacist overseeing 3-4 pharmacy technicians behind the counter with little time to assist me: the patient. Furthermore, mainly because of COVID, several chains have added duties to the pharmacist’s to-do list in order to generate additional revenue: Think vaccines. In turn, there is less time for the 1 doctoral-level professional on-duty to address the specific health needs of her/his patients in a thorough, compassionate manner…ultimately impacting the safety and quality of life of both patients and employees! So, once again, we are confronted with the issue of worker shortages. However, if you dig deep enough, you will find there are plenty of pharmacists in this nation but few who are willing to work under the aforementioned conditions. Therefore, not unlike the nurses who are leaving their profession in droves, we are losing more institutional knowledge in this realm due to a healthcare system that arrogantly continues to place profits over people!

 

Sources: https://www.wsj.com/health/healthcare/cvs-walgreens-pharmacy-employees-work-2bae98d2?reflink=integratedwebview_share

https://the1a.org/segments/pharmageddon-and-the-future-of-retail-pharmacies/

 

The DST switch (1)

 

The DST switch (2)

 

The DST switch (3)

 

Children / PTSD / War

 

FAA / Pilots / MH

 

OH / Families / Addiction Strain

White House & Narcan in Schools

 

Loneliness & Addiction

 

MH Parity Compliance?

 

Insurance Cos / White House / MH Care

 

Anxiety & Marijuana?

 

Paradox of Compassion

 

On Giving Compliments

 

Impact of short-staffing Pharmacies (1)

 

Impact of short-staffing Pharmacies (2)

 

Hospitals & Drug Shortages

 

Update: Sickle Cell & Gene Editing

 

Infant deaths on the rise

 

Understanding “Intersex”

 

Maine Shooting & US Reaction

 

TBIs in Construction

 

College students & Unionization

 

UAW’s Young Activists

 

Toyota Workers Get Pay Bump

 

Tesla v UAW?

 

Portland / Teachers / Strike

 

Wage Theft & Uber

 

Construction / Amazon / Noose

 

Defined Benefit Plans Revisited

 

What is “Quiet Cutting”?

 

Update: Parent Plus Student Loans

 

Upcoming webinars, etc.:

Fitness & Nutrition Mythbusters

 

QPR: Suicide Prevention Training

 

 

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.

 

November 6, 2023/by Braxton Payne
https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/iStock-697895326.jpg 779 1345 Braxton Payne https://moworksinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/missouri-works-initiative-logo-new-1-300x222.png Braxton Payne2023-11-06 15:56:122024-01-16 17:03:47Wellness & Well-being Highlights November 6
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