At the Council of Classified Employees Conference, participants had some popular and useful workshops to choose from, including cultivating well-being, the Education Code, responding to active violence, and AFT member benefits. Below are three highlights of the interesting workshops that were offered. 

First up, Kevin Riley and Jon Salazar, from the Cal/OSHA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program, led a workshop, New Safety and Health Protections for California Workers. 

In the session, Riley and Salazar, who do trainings around the state, talked about two new safety regulations, one for indoor heat and another on violence in the workplace.

Previously heat regulations were only considered for outdoor workers, but with climate change indoor workers, particularly those in kitchens or cafeterias, need to be especially careful. With heat exposure there are two key numbers to remember, the presenters said, at which your employer is required to institute protections for workers — 80 degrees, or above in outdoor settings, and 82 degrees in indoor settings. 

Participants told stories about cafeteria workers passing out at their schools and it being so hot indoors that crayons melted. 

Until now, workplace violence regulations only applied, shockingly, to health care workers. For reasons like these, the new regulations are critical, Riley said. And with the new policies California is actually in the minority. The presenters showed a map of the U.S. and asked the participants to guess how many states have occupational standards in place to protect workers from heat exposure. No one said 48. In fact, it’s six. 

Riley and Salazar talked about ways to make sure the new regulations were enforced. They also said that CFT members have been key in advocating for stronger policies on heat protections and workplace violence prevention in schools and colleges.

“It’s your union and other unions across the state that play such a critical role in making sure that there’s  new standards in place as these new hazards emerge,” Riley said. “It’s a testament to you all in terms of you helping us to get these protections that now apply to all workers across the state.” 

Second, Evan Lundeen, the assistant director of the AFT Paraprofessional and School Related Personnel Department, led the workshop, Putting your Best Foot Forward: Proactively Navigating Difficult Workplace Situations. Lawndale Federation of Classified Employees Vice President Lisa Agcaoili moderated, as the attendees learned about ways to deal with workplace bullying, minimize unintended consequences, and communicate effectively, especially with people who aren’t the easiest to deal with. 

After listing positive and negative workplace habits that attendees came up with in conversation with each other on a flipchart, Lundeen gave them a game to play on their phones about unintended consequences. You could make different decisions that could lead to your being home and getting work done or to situations you didn’t want or expect, including losing your job. 

Lundeen suggested watching out for a few things that came up in the game, including being friends with students or their parents on social media (things posted there last forever), as well as watching what you say about work or colleagues in group chats and being careful about your devices.

If you’re dealing with someone treating you inappropriately at work, Lundeen advised not letting it fester, but addressing it before it gets worse and finding a balance where you are assertive without being aggressive. 

Lundeen also recommended using “I messages” to avoid sounding accusatory, such as “When you . . ., I feel . . .,” and then the workshop participants had a conversation using as an example a para educator who is reprimanded by a teacher in front of the students. People agreed that having a structure to use (sounding like yourself, not a robot) made difficult conversations easier. 

Finally, Marcella Norling, the Southern Vice President of the Council of Retired Members, and CCE Secretary Patti Serafin led the Union Fun in Retirement! workshop, letting the attendees know about reasons to start a retiree chapter, how to go about it, and what the benefits are. 

Norling said part of the reason she wanted a retiree chapter was losing her email immediately after she left her job. She wanted to get it back so she could be in touch with key organizations like Social Security, Medicare, and CalPERS, as well as friends and family. And she wanted to help other people who found themselves in the same position. 

Serafin told workshop attendees that she began the chapter following the instructions on the CFT website, which she said are very clear and detailed, down to providing a sample letter to write to the parent union asking to start the chapter. 

Both said the chapter can be a way to stay connected. Norling reported that the chapter had taken a tour of Costa Mesa’s Bower Museum with a member who’s a docent and had gone to lunch afterwards. Serafin said Palomar’s chapter has done things like attend football games and play together, and they have a holiday event coming up. 

Being in a retiree chapter is also a way to learn things — Norling said the members were interested in local history and following the example of Bill Shields from AFT 2121 at San Francisco City College, began working on an oral history project of their local. And it’s a way to stay involved in politics, like precinct walking or phone banking.