WHEREAS:

            Since the last International Convention, the members of AFSCME have persevered with bold caring, bravery and determined dedication through innumerable tragedies in the workplace such as but in no way limited to:

• The response of AFSCME Local 3153 (Newtown Police Department),  AFSCME Local 1303-136 (Newtown Dispatchers), AFSCME Local 1303-200 (Newtown Public Works) and AFSCME Local 1303-215 (Board of Education Nurses) to the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut; and
• AFSCME Local 445’s (Boston Public Works) response to the Boston Marathon Bombing; and
• CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000’s (Longwood School District) response and mourning the tragic loss of a brother, Daniel Methven, who died in a motor vehicle accident while a school security guard on January 13, 2013; and
• AFSCME Local 725’s (Indianapolis Department of Public Work) response and mourning of the tragic line of duty death of a brother, Thomas Welch, who died April 8, 2013 during a motor vehicle accident; and
• OCSEA/AFSCME Local 11’s (Ohio Department of Transportation) response and mourning of the tragic line of duty death of a brother, Lee Rizor, who died after being struck by a semi while operating a backhoe on April 22, 2013; and
• AFSCME Local 624’s (Albuquerque, New Mexico) response and mourning of the death of a brother, Glenn Martin, who died May 1, 2013, during a machinery accident at a worksite; and
• CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000’s (State Parks) response and mourning of the tragic loss of a brother, Lance Gayton, who succumbed to injuries on August 7, 2013, at an heavy machinery accident at Harriman State Park near Youmans Flats; and
• CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000’s (Town of Oyster Bay) response and mourning of the tragic loss of a brother, Steven Giacobello, who died on September 23, 2013, after being hit by a passing vehicle while on collecting recycled waste; and
• CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000’s (Town of Eastchester) response and mourning of the tragic loss of a brother, Nick Farella, who succumbed to injuries on October 7, 2013, from injuries sustained during a workplace accident in the field; and
• CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000’s (Greene County) response and mourning the tragic loss of a brother, Ron Clifford, who died of a heart attack while clearing snow at the Greene County Mental Health Building on January 2, 2013; and
• CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000’s (State Parks) response and mourning the tragic loss of a brother, Rich Capper, who died February 16, 2014, while plowing snow in the Silver Mine area of Harriman State Park; and
• AFSCME Local 3299’s (University of California Berkeley) response and mourning of the tragic loss of a brother, Damon Frick, who died from injuries from a fall at a campus workplace accident on April 8, 2014; and
• AFSCME Local 350-0’s (Clackamas County Department of Transportation and Development)  and Local 350-7’s (Clackamas County Communications (CCOM)) response and grieving the loss of a brother, Grady Waxenfelter, who was murdered in the line of duty February 6, 2014 ; and 

WHEREAS:

            The following AFSCME Sisters and Brothers have died in the line of duty since our last Convention in 2012:

AFSCME Council 8, Local 1657 member Shawn Wilson; and

MSEA/AFSCME Local 5 member Don Selden; and

MSEA/AFSCME Local 5 member Dennis Myers; and

PSEA/AFSCME Local 803member Gabe Rich; and

PSEA/AFSCME Local 803 member Scott Johnson; and

PSEA/AFSCME Local 803 member Tage Toll; and

ASEA/AFSCME Local 52 member Melvin C. Nading; and

UPW/AFSCME Local 646 member Severino Butay; and

UPW/AFSCME Local 646 member Michael Maikiya; and

HGEA AFSCME Local 152 member Malcolm Lee Jr; and

HGEA/AFSCME Local 152 member Kathleen Kern; and

HGEA/AFSCME Local 152 member Tremaine Balberdi; and

CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000 member Esterina Trichilo; and

CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000 member Jorge Guevara; and

CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000 member Steven Paolelli; and

AFSCME Council 3 member Eddie Gilyard; and

AFSCME Council 4, Local 1303 member Timothy M. Golden; and

AFSCME Council 4, Local 466 member Kenneth Fountain; and

AFSCME Council 47, Local 810 member Jeff Stone; and

AFSCME Council 47, Local 810 member Lenny Ferguson; and

AFSCME Council 47, Local 2186 member Nadine Smith-Bulford; and

AFSCME Council 57, Local 3993 member Chris Shephard; and

AFSCME Council 93, Local 851 member Carlos Tabares; and

AFSCME Council 93, Local 2824 Member Chester Flattery

WHEREAS:

            Peer support and critical incident stress management programs are well established in public safety fields and their benefits are well documented when dealing with these and similar tragedies in increasing recognition and reducing mental injuries; and

WHEREAS:

            Many locals may not have the opportunity to be closely affiliated with employees in the public safety fields; and

WHEREAS:

            Most worker’s compensation plans do not cover mental injury that occurred in the workplace.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

            AFSCME International will provide support for affiliates seeking to gain coverage of post-traumatic stress disorder under workers compensation programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

            AFSCME International develop and distribute best practices on formation and maintenance of peer support and critical incident stress management programs.