Labor unions can provide special support to union members who are seeking treatment for drug or alcohol abuse. Many labor unions help members find and gain timely entry into treatment centers, while others even pay for their treatment.
Disclosing details about a substance use disorder (SUD) to an employer can feel vulnerable and uncomfortable. Concerns about job security and fair treatment are common. However, labor unions exist separately from a business and function to advocate for members’ rights. Informing a union representative about the desire to seek treatment can provide assistance during a critical and overwhelming time.
Keep reading to learn about labor unions, benefits of receiving addiction treatment through labor unions, the importance of union recovery programs, when to contact your union rep for addiction treatment, returning to work after rehabilitation, and more.
The Role Of Labor Unions For Workers
Labor unions are organizations of workers in specific companies, industries, or trades that advocate for workers’ rights in the workplace. Unions are established for workers by workers. Union representatives hold volunteer positions, and union leaders, known as executive council members, are elected to their positions through a voting system.
Unions negotiate with employers for better terms of employment and also ensure that employers follow the terms of their contracts with workers. Unions campaign for fair wages, comprehensive benefits, health and safety standards, better working conditions, job security, fair treatment, and more.
Professions represented by unions include:
- aircraft manufacturing and repair workers
- garment factory workers
- government workers
- hotel and casino workers
- mass transit service workers
- professional firefighters and emergency service workers
- public school employees, e.g. teachers, librarians, administrative assistants, and counselors
- public service workers, e.g., janitors and security guards
- registered nurses
- restaurant and commercial foodservice workers
- retail store and distribution workers
- tradespeople, e.g., carpenters, construction workers, electricians, ironworkers, plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, ironworkers, mechanics, miners, and steel mill workers
- truck drivers
- warehouse workers
About 10% of the U.S. workforce is affiliated with a union, NPR reports. Members are required to pay monthly dues and meet terms of eligibility to be part of a union. For trade unions, prospective members must complete an apprenticeship program to be eligible. Well-known labor unions include the National Education Association, the Service Employees International Union, the Teamsters, and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.
Benefits Of Receiving Addiction Recovery Through Labor Unions
Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year for select circumstances, which includes receiving medical support for a serious health condition, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Under FMLA, an employee’s job remains protected and the employee is entitled to the same health insurance coverage as if they were not taking leave. FMLA does not apply to private companies with less than 50 employees, but these companies may be covered by state laws governing family and medical leave policies.
Under FMLA, workers have the security of knowing they cannot legally be terminated or replaced during a leave of absence. Many workers are unaware of the full extent of their rights under FMLA, but labor unions can provide all the necessary information. Unions can also help members better navigate the process of finding a treatment center and receiving support. With a union representative advocating on workers’ behalf, treatment can be administered in a time-efficient manner. Labor unions also advocate for comprehensive treatment services, which include the full spectrum of support—detox, inpatient or residential treatment, counseling, and aftercare—to ensure workers are fully supported.
Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
Many companies have employee assistance programs (EAPs), but so do labor unions. EAPs exist to support union members with personal issues that can affect their job performance, such as SUD, physical and/or mental health concerns, financial troubles, legal issues, and social concerns, including marital and family problems, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Various EAPs may be available, depending on the union.
Examples of services available through EAPs include:
- caregiving support
- crisis intervention
- family counseling
- financial consultation
- grief counseling
- health and wellness programs
- ID theft recovery services
- legal assistance
- mental health counseling
- substance abuse treatment
- support for family situations, e.g., adoption assistance, childcare, divorce, or elder care
To help workers with any of the above-mentioned issues, EAPs may perform individual assessments, provide referrals to treatment, offer short-term counseling, issue employee education, and more.
The Importance Of Union Recovery Programs
Because of the collective power of thousands or even millions of people, there is certainly strength in numbers when it comes to receiving substance abuse treatment through a labor union. Not only can a union make the process easier, but it can also ensure workers are supported throughout and even after completing treatment. Some of the most important benefits of union recovery programs include the union’s relationships with treatment centers, potentially offsetting the cost of treatment, and workplace policies that promote an atmosphere that supports addiction recovery.
Relationships With Treatment Centers
Labor unions understand that addiction poses a severe detriment to a person’s mental and physical health, quality of life, and, of course, their ability to be a reliable, consistent, and safe worker. Unions also understand the fallout of addiction across all areas of a person’s life. To promptly get someone into a drug and alcohol rehab center, many labor unions have established relationships with treatment centers, where they refer members who need help. Some of these treatment centers treat a large population of union members and provide specialized case management and treatment services.
Offsetting The Cost Of Treatment
The cost of addiction treatment services can be steep, even with health insurance. Labor unions know that cost can serve as a barrier to treatment. As such, labor unions advocate for health care plans that cover comprehensive SUD treatment services. Some labor unions also allocate funds specifically to help members pay for addiction treatment.
Recovery-Supportive Workplace Policies
Labor unions work for employer policies that protect the rights of workers in general and while in treatment. Even though the FMLA protects workers’ jobs, unions proactively strive to eliminate any notion of worry or fear about employment for members seeking treatment for SUD. Unions also provide education for workers regarding SUD and recovery, promote drug-free working environments, and encourage recovery-ready workplaces, which offers employment opportunities to people in recovery.
When To Contact Your Union Representative For Addiction Treatment
When a person discloses their SUD and plans for recovery with their labor union, it is likely preceded by a period of time that was chaotic, confusing, and demanding. With support available through a union, it’s important to remember to pursue or accept help sooner rather than later.
Consider contacting your union rep if you feel you are at risk of on-the-job accidents and/or negligence related to substance use. You may also contact your union rep due to poor or inconsistent attendance due to SUD, relationship problems, and legal troubles related to SUD.
Returning To Work After Addiction Treatment
Several weeks or months may have passed before a person returns to work following treatment. If a person completes inpatient treatment and requires subsequent outpatient treatment, they may still be protected under FMLA. Before returning to work, workers will need to determine if their job is a potential trigger. For example, if someone in early recovery previously worked at a restaurant where alcohol is served, it may be best to seek alternative options for work. Addiction counselors, peer recovery specialists, and 12-step sponsors can help with navigating this process.
Upon returning to work, it is also the individual’s decision whether or not to disclose their addiction recovery experience with trusted coworkers. Receiving help for drug or alcohol addiction is a personal decision and does not need to be shared unless a person feels comfortable doing so.
Work can provide structure during the day, but an aftercare program is important to ensure recovery efforts remain consistent. It’s common for people in early recovery to start feeling better physically and mentally and interpret their improved state as a sign that they no longer suffer from addiction. However, addiction is a chronic, lifelong disease. The mental pathways that connect the body’s addictive reaction to a substance have been built, and no matter how much time is spent in sobriety, these pathways can be reestablished.
It is also important to note that time in recovery may be covered by FMLA for qualifying workers, but FMLA will not cover workers who violate workplace substance abuse policies. If a person comes to work under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they actively put themselves and the safety and professionalism of a company in jeopardy, and doing so can result in termination. It’s possible to be terminated for breaching workplace substance use policies even if the worker is receiving treatment under FMLA.
Union Members’ Program At Bedrock Recovery Center
To learn about the specific services available through Bedrock’s union members’ program, please call us today.
