Boston– Massachusetts Building Trades Unions & Massachusetts Building Trades Recovery Council (MBTRC) kicks-off its 1st Annual Walk for Wellness this month to raise funds and increase awareness and utilization of their unions’ mental health and substance use recovery programs.
Opioid use and mental health challenges are rampant in the construction industry – construction workers have one of the highest rates of substance use disorder compared to other workers, representing 25% of fatal opioid overdoses among all workers.
In response to this crisis, the MBTRC has brought together MA construction unions’ nationally-leading peer to peer recovery programs to grow the union recovery movement. These innovative programs connect union construction workers and their dependents with counseling, treatment, and peer support, all free of charge for those struggling with substance use and mental health issues. They do so with the strength of union peers and recovery leaders to guide and protect vulnerable members as they navigate treatment. Doing so not only increases the effectiveness of treatment and member retention but also allows unions to advocate and negotiate with employers and treatment centers for successful return to work.
By addressing members’ chief fear of losing work and by building networks of sober members who sought treatment and successfully returned to work, MA Building Trades Unions are curbing stigma and changing the construction industry.
“Getting sober is challenging. I didn’t know about the help that was available when I was trying to get sober and now that I’m on the other side and see other people suffering, it drives my passion to spread the word about recovery and seeking help,” says Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 member and Recovery Council member, Areesa Willie. She got sober in 2013 and joined Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 in 2021, immediately jumping on the opportunity to join MBTU’s Recovery Council as a first-year apprentice. She now serves on SMW17’s Women’s Committee and attended this year’s Trades Women Build Nations conference in New Orleans. Reflecting on the importance of the Walk for Wellness, Willie notes, “We all think we’re the only ones going through it. We think other people don’t understand what we’ve been through. My message to others is: you are not alone and you are worthy.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, construction has the highest suicide rate of all industries, at 53.2 suicides per 100,000 workers. That is approximately four times greater than the national average and five times greater than all other construction fatalities combined. Members of the 62 local unions and district councils in MBTU have access to recovery support 24/7, thanks to MBTU Recovery Programs.
Who: Massachusetts Building Trades Unions
Labor Assistance Professionals (LAP)
Union members from North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters,
Massachusetts Laborers District Council,
SMART Northeast Regional Council, IUPAT District Council 35, and more.
Contractors: Turner Construction Company, Suffolk Construction, and more.
What: 1st Annual Walk for Wellness
Where: Larz Anderson Park
Picnic Shelter Area
358 Goddard Ave, Brookline
When: Sunday October 20, 2024 from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
About Massachusetts Building Trades Recovery Council
Construction workers are at much higher risk of substance abuse, addiction and suicide than the general population due to physically and mentally demanding work. The MBTRC is a solution to this problem; run by people in the trades, for people in the trades, composed of union recovery program leaders who are paving the way in ground breaking and effective recovery programming and support while encouraging dignity and mutual respect. This event will highlight the value and importance of these union-sponsored peer-led recovery efforts within the building trades.
