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Building Trades group seeks formal recognition for Recovery Week to reduce stigma and save lives
Summary
The Building Trades Employers Association told the committee that its Building Trades Recovery Week has become a regional model for workplace mental‑health and overdose response; sponsors asked the legislature to designate an annual observance to encourage employers and unions to continue training, Narcan distribution and peer‑support efforts.
Warren Kramer, director of industry and government affairs at the Building Trades Employers Association (BTEA) Northeast, urged the Joint Committee on June 24 to support legislation recognizing Building Trades Recovery Week and to formally encourage outreach and employer/union coordination on substance use disorder and mental‑health supports.
Why proponents described it as needed: Kramer said construction workers face high rates of overdose and suicide and need workplace-based interventions. He described the program’s activities — job‑site trainings, stand‑downs, Narcan distribution, and peer‑support outreach — and said the events have become a national model since the association launched the initiative in 2019.
Examples and scale: Kramer said one recent stand‑down at a Massachusetts General Hospital project drew more than 700 workers; he noted that multiple overdoses were reversed on job sites after Narcan became widely available. The association emphasized labor‑management partnerships and apprenticeship outreach to embed recovery and prevention into safety practices.
Legislative request: The bill would recognize the week in April and send a public signal of support; Kramer said the measure does not create mandates or require state funding, but would formally endorse a program that members say is already producing measurable lifesaving outcomes.
Committee action: Chairs thanked witnesses and said they would consider the bill; no formal vote occurred at the hearing.
