Local 10 Working Minds

SMART SM Local 10 (Maplewood, Minn.) held a series of suicide prevention workshops in the fall for members through the Construction Working Minds Program. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), men in construction die by suicide at a rate four times higher than the general adult population, with similar figures in the transportation industry.

Rather than being a once-a-year subject, suicide in our industries requires our attention all year long. One of the ways we do this is with Construction Working Minds, making a one-hour training available to members.

Construction Working Minds was established to increase industry awareness, provide valuable resources and create a network that seeks to let people know that suicide affects everyone — and all of us have a shared responsibility to prevent it.

“We all know the traditional tools in our toolbox,” said Local 10 Business Manager Matt Fairbanks. “This program delivers our members new tools in the box around mental wellness/suicide prevention to build our local network and ensure that not only are we all there for each other, but also that each member knows their brothers and sisters have their back.”