ENDING WORKPLACE HARASSMENT: TOWARD A BULLY-FREE WORKPLACE

WHEREAS, according to the Workplace Bullying Institute (WBI) "workplace bullying is repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the targets) by one or more perpetrators. It is abusive conduct that is: (1) threatening, humiliating, or intimidating, or (2) work interference—sabotage—which prevents work from getting done, or (3) verbal abuse"; and

WHEREAS, the WBI (2014) survey of a representative sample of North American workers found that "over one-quarter of adult Americans (27 percent) said they directly experienced abusive conduct at work"; and

WHEREAS, workplace bullying can result in harmful health effects as well as physical injury. Bullied workers have a high prevalence of stress-related disease such as high blood pressure and cardiac disease. Many victims suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders when returning to work after chronic, unrelenting bullying; and

WHEREAS, work-related bullying is a complex problem with varying sources and solutions to reduce the harmful health and safety impact as well as the incidence in workplaces where AFT members work; and

WHEREAS, AFT members in all constituencies have been affected by increased levels of workplace bullying; and

WHEREAS, the quality services provided to the community by AFT members are jeopardized when workers are under the extreme stress brought on by workplace bullying; and

WHEREAS, AFT affiliates in every division have begun to address this issue legislatively, in collective bargaining and in workplace policies; and

WHEREAS, AFT affiliates have drafted workplace bullying prevention policies and sample contract language to address work-related bullying; and

WHEREAS, AFT affiliates have introduced legislation to prohibit bullying of state employees:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers will:

• Continue to advocate for research that describes the incidence and prevalence of bullying in the workplaces of AFT members as well as assesses the adverse health impact of workplace bullying of workers;
• Track and analyze proposed and current state legislation that addresses workplace bullying;
• Promote the promulgation of OSHA workplace violence prevention standards at the state and federal levels;
• Draft workplace violence prevention samples for each division as follows:
  • Contract safety and security language;
  • Work-site policies; and
  • State legislative bills; and
• Develop educational materials and workshops on workplace bullying prevention for each AFT division.