Promoting and improving the health and wellness of Laborers and their family members – on and off the job – is the primary focus of the Health Promotion Division.
Staff provide a variety of services, including:
The risks facing today’s workforce are complex and often interconnected. Improving the physical health and mental well-being of LIUNA members requires a shared commitment across an organization.”
— Jamie Becker, Director of Health Promotion
When you’re looking for an innovative way to address the health behaviors of LIUNA members and their families, planning a health fair or incorporating a health screening event into a LIUNA function can do the trick. The LHSFNA’s Health Promotion Division can help.
Health fairs introduce union members and their families to health and wellness information and screening services. The Division can arrange for nurses to conduct health screenings for blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol at no cost to you. To request assistance, log in to the Services section of this site, then fill out the Schedule a Health Fair form. A minimum of 30 days notice is requested so nurses can be secured for your event and necessary support materials, such as screening equipment, can be delivered prior.
Reaching LIUNA members through health fairs and health screenings helps:
It can alert someone to a health problem that may otherwise go undetected. Members feel their union and/or employer is providing them with useful information. It provides an opportunity for family members to be involved in a union activity. It’s a chance for members to gather as a group and form a bond, which may be missing at spread-out worksites or lower attended membership meetings. Retirees get an opportunity to take part, reminding them why it’s important to maintain their membership.
A health fair can be sponsored by any LIUNA or labor-management entity. The LHSFNA has assisted the following LIUNA affiliates or groups in developing and implementing health fairs:
Whether one person or a team of people is doing the planning, it’s important to ask the right questions and gather certain information to help make the event a success.
The LHSFNA partners with Medical Professionals to conduct health screenings for blood pressure, glucose and cholesterol at LHSFNA sponsored health fairs. Do you have an active medical license or certification and want to join our Medical Professionals’ health screening network? If so, fill out the medical professional interest form and a member of our Health Promotion Division team will reach out to you
With the constant challenges that arise in the administration of LIUNA Health & Welfare Funds, the Health Promotion Division provides support and assistance to Fund trustees and professionals.
Division staff offers expertise in a number of areas including benefit and plan review, requests for proposals, data analysis, insurance industry trends, the impact of legislative initiatives and regulations, managed care and fund mergers. Because no two LIUNA Health and Welfare Funds are alike, each request is handled individually, and the research and recommendations are specific to the particular Fund’s needs.
Division staff also assists Funds with the publication of health & welfare newsletters. For assistance, contact the Health Promotion Division at 202-628-5465.
To assist Laborers, Local Unions, signatory employers and LIUNA Health and Welfare Funds with managing developments related to health care and insurance, the Health Promotion Division provides regular updates and explanations in the Health Care and Insurance News Bulletin.
Spending much of their time outdoors puts Laborers at risk for overexposure to the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, which are proven to cause skin cancer and premature skin aging. Wearing sunscreen along with sunglasses, hats and other protective clothing can help prevent overexposure. The key is making these practices daily habits that all workers practice year round.
Outdoor work also puts Laborers at risk for heat illness when high temperatures or workloads don’t let the body cool off fast enough. Heat illness can lead to dehydration, muscle cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which can be fatal. Heat illness can be prevented by allowing workers to acclimatize to the heat and by providing them with water, rest and shade.
The Sun Sense Plus campaign, sponsored by the Laborers’ Health & Safety Fund of North America (LHSFNA) and the Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust (LECET), raises awareness about the dangers of skin cancer, heat illness and other outdoor hazards. Along with distributing sunscreen, lip balm, neck flaps, cooling cloths and insect repellent towelettes and tick keys to Laborers across the U.S. and Canada, the Fund also provides posters, Health Alerts and other educational materials to make sure members know how to prevent skin cancer and heat illness and recognize early signs and symptoms.
Sun Sense Plus products and publications are available free of charge to LIUNA District Councils, Local Unions, training centers, LECET funds and signatory contractors for distribution to LIUNA members. Individual LIUNA members should order through their District Council, Local Union or employer representative. Some products are only available in limited quantities and may not be available all year.
Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) is a system of interventions designed to provide education, prevention and mitigation for workers in the aftermath of a traumatic event. A Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) is a group meeting led by a trained professional that gathers those affected, including workers who witnessed the event, victims of the event and co-workers or supervisors close to the victim. The LHSFNA’s Health Promotion Division can help arrange stress management services, including CISDs, for LIUNA signatory contractors following such an event. Trained professionals can share resources and guidance to help workers cope with their feelings and prepare to return to work.
The Fund encourages LIUNA signatory contractors to fill out this form in the event of a serious injury, incident or fatality on your worksite. CISD services can also be requested using this form. Please contact the Health Promotion Division at 202-383-2816 with any questions related to arranging CISD services.
