UAW pushes opioid issue to the fore

At a Kentucky UAW hall in late October, a meeting to discuss the opioid crisis stretched hours longer than planned.

Law enforcement, rehabilitation experts and even a former NBA player spoke with UAW members and their families about the dangers of opioid misuse, warning signs of addiction and tools to get loved ones help.

It was one of many events held for UAW-Ford Motor Co. members at sites around the country in the two years since the company and union rolled out the Campaign of Hope, an education and awareness initiative to combat drug misuse among hourly and salaried workers.

And it's the type of initiative the UAW wants for all of its 431,000 members — starting with those at the Detroit 3 — to set a standard for how industries nationwide address opioid addiction and recovery for employees.

"This is a life-and-death issue, which is why we'll make this issue part of our national negotiations," UAW President Gary Jones told more than 900 members who gathered this month in Detroit to set bargaining priorities for talks beginning this summer. A resolution to add the opioid crisis to that list won overwhelming support, as members shared stories of addiction involving themselves, co-workers and friends and family.

"It affects our entire membership," Jones said, "whether it's a brother or sister struggling with the addiction, or watching while a family member struggles."

With its resolution, the UAW proposes to fundamentally change contract language on substance misuse policies, which stress a zero-tolerance environment for the sake of occupational safety. Workers enjoy some protection if they seek help but risk losing their jobs if they relapse repeatedly.

What the union seeks instead are policies oriented around education, support and treatment rather than punishment to break the stigma and fear surrounding addiction.

"We need to change that workplace culture so that workers can talk about these uncomfortable issues," said Jonathan Rosen, an occupational safety consultant featured in a video shown at the Detroit event, adding: "It takes a totally different approach by employers and their policies."

In taking up the issue, the UAW also is proposing to wrestle with various federal and state laws, as well as court precedents, governing how businesses handle workplace drug use, including the Controlled Substances Act and drug-testing rules.

"All of these things are butting up against one another," said Jodi Debbrecht Switalski, a former judge and prosecutor in Michigan who is now a consultant to employers on substance misuse. "The UAW is trying to get out in front of all of this."

The UAW's resolution seeks more help from automakers, which have taken steps to combat the opioid epidemic. Ford backed the Campaign of Hope in 2017, expanding on pilot projects at the plant level. The campaign also trains employees on administering antidotes for overdoses.

That same year, General Motors implemented a pharmacy program to curb the quantity of short-acting opioids employees can receive after simple surgeries. It also promotes safe opioid use and disposal through annual safety seminars and communications.

GM said in a statement that it "recognizes this is an issue that impacts communities and families nationwide" and that it is "dedicated to ensuring a culture of safety, both at home and in the workplace."

Bill Dirksen, Ford's vice president of labor affairs, said in a statement that Ford "will continue working with the UAW to find additional ways to help our employees, their families and their communities combat this issue."

FCA US said it's working with its pharmacy benefits manager to address abuse concerns and has changed some of its drug coverage rules to try to prevent unnecessary opioid prescriptions.

Scott Masi, president of Unite to Face Addiction Michigan, has worked with the UAW for 10 years providing addiction recovery services and education. He believes the union is in a unique position to support workers facing addiction problems, provided that they have access to a recovery-oriented system that doesn't jeopardize their jobs.

Initially, he said, the union was concerned about the negative publicity surrounding addiction in its ranks. Now, "They're starting to understand their importance in the community, and outside the work force how they can help address this opioid epidemic," he said.

Though the opioid crisis is national — President Donald Trump declared it a public health emergency in October 2017 — the auto industry's manufacturing belt overlaps the regions most affected, spreading south from Michigan and clustered around highway corridors used by car carriers and drug couriers. Union members say the demands of auto factory jobs can make workers more susceptible to stress, pain and injuries that can lead to opioid misuse.

The drive to make the addiction discussion a national negotiating priority began with UAW locals recognizing the escalating impact on their workers. At the event in Kentucky, hosted at the UAW Local 862 Union Hall near Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant, almost all the speakers exceeded their allotted times, and nearly all the estimated 50 attendees stayed until the end.

Among the speakers was Patrick Kullman, a former UAW member at Louisville Assembly who became addicted to narcotics after surgery for a work-related injury in 2012 and sought treatment four times, three of which were paid for by Ford.

Kullman, who is now a rehabilitation worker helping to treat Ford employees, said, "For the UAW to let me come back in there and share my story — it was very humbling."