Union Guide to Tobacco

A Union Guide to Tobacco was designed by WorkSHIFTS in partnership with representatives of Minnesota’s labor community and the Labor Education Service of the University of Minnesota as a resource guide and educational tool for union leaders. The seven-unit toolkit and accompanying flyers contain a wealth of information union leaders can use to:

• Build awareness among members about the health and economic harms associated with tobacco use and workers’ exposure to secondhand smoke;
• Support members who smoke or chew to achieve the goal of quitting tobacco use;
• Negotiate for effective cessation services to be included as a core health care benefit;
• Develop and implement reasonable workplace smoking policies;  
• Partner with the public health community to advocate for labor’s right to health.

Please feel free to download these documents and reproduce them for union or workplace bulletin boards or other venues, depending upon your union’s needs and interests.

Tobacco & Labor Unions PDF, 352 Kb

Tobacco & Workplace Toxins PDF, 124 Kb

Worker & Family Health PDF, 241 Kb

Helping Members Quit PDF, 281 Kb

Smoking & Healthcare Costs PDF, 236 Kb

Smoke-Free Workplace Policies PDF, 165 Kb

Legal Issues PDF, 241 Kb

Smoke-Free Homes Work!  A one-page flyer on the negative effects of smoking at home. PDF, 335 Kb

Don’t Quit Alone!  A one-page flyer on the benefits of quitting tobacco use. PDF, 703 Kb

Healthy Workplaces Work!  A one-page flyer on the effects of secondhand smoke on workers’ health. PDF, 810 Kb

Smoke-Free Workplaces Work!  A one-page flyer on the effects of secondhand smoke on restaurant and bar workers. PDF, 763 Kb