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Q
&
A
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 Coalition
of Labor Union
Women
HIV/AIDS
INITIATIVE |
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The
CLUW HIV/AIDS Project is a cooperative effort of labor organizations
whose goal is to place HIV/AIDS issues before the labor
community and to represent working men and women in the
HIV/AIDS community.
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Q:
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What
is the Coalition of Labor Union (CLUW) HIV/AIDS Education &
Prevention Initiative? |
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A:
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CLUW is funded by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Partnership
for HIV Prevention cooperative agreement to take a leading
role in increasing awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS in
the workplace and in communities. Recent CDC estimates indicate
that there are about 900,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in
the U.S. Despite the public education campaigns and prevention
efforts and newer, more effective treatments, the rate of
new HIV infections has remained steady at about 40,000 annually.
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Q:
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What are
the goals of the HIV/AIDS Program? |
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A:
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There are three primary
goals of the CLUW HIV/AIDS Education & Prevention Initiative:
- To develop an effective network
of labor leaders at the local, national, and international
level who care about this issue
- To expand existing union programs
and work in individual communities to build greater awareness
- To identify partnership opportunities
between labor, employers, and other organizations for developing
national and community-based initiatives on HIV/AIDS
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Q:
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What are
the objectives of CLUW’s Initiative? |
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A:
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There are
four primary objectives:
- Recruit at least 10 national and international
labor leaders to plan and to coordinate national HIV/AIDS
initiatives and prevention strategies
- Identify one or two national organizations,
corporations and other employers to plan a national HIV/AIDS
awareness and prevention workplace initiative or campaign
- Develop an HIV/AIDS pilot project in
three cities with CLUW chapters: Detroit, Philadelphia,
and Chicago
- Establish a project advisory committee
to provide technical assistance and oversight to the CLUW
Initiative
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Q:
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Are these
goals and objectives being achieved? |
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A:
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Yes!
- 12 AFL-CIO and constituency group leaders
have been recruited to coordinate HIV/AIDS initiatives.
- 15 labor representatives have been recruited
to serve on the HIV/AIDS project advisory committee.
- Meetings have been conducted with both
groups to discuss potential partnership opportunities and
how to re-energize and refocus labor’s efforts on this
important issue.
- A survey has been distributed to CLUW
leadership to learn about HIV/AIDS programs that have been
conducted in the past and to assess the need for future
activities.
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Q:
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Why
should labor organizations respond to the HIV/AIDS issue? |
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A:
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Many union
members, including hospital/healthcare workers, sanitation workers,
postal workers, and hotel workers, work in professions that
put them directly at risk for contracting HIV. Some union members
have HIV or AIDS and need to know that their right to work with
dignity and without discrimination will be protected by their
union. Moreover, many union members may be teaching or working
with students or be a caregiver at home for a family member
with HIV or AIDS. |
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Q:
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Can unions
make a difference? |
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A:
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Yes, unions
have the potential to contribute to HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention
in several ways.
- The workplace is an important arena for
reaching adults with health messages.
- More than 110 million Americans spend
the majority of their waking hours at work.
- Unions can organize and sponsor AIDS-in-the-workplace
workshops to educate members about how HIV is and is not
spread.
- Workshops can help confront myths and
misconceptions about HIV and AIDS.
- Union training on HIV/AIDS can also provide
parents with prevention information for their children.
- Through contract language or workplace
policies, unions can help their members by providing information
and referrals on support for caregivers and by protecting
their jobs if they have to take extended leave to care for
a family member with AIDS.
No other setting provides an opportunity
to reach such a diverse audience that is also in the age range
at the highest risk of HIV infection.
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Q:
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How can you
help? |
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A:
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Get involved.
Educate yourself about HIV/AIDS and the many people affected
by this disease.
Put this issue on the table in your union.
For more information, contact Karen
McMillan, HIV/AIDS Project Director at 202-223-8360, ext.
7 or by e-mail at kmcmillan@cluw.org.
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