September is Suicide Prevention Month, an important reminder that looking out for one another extends far beyond the workplace. Across the labor movement, solidarity has always meant standing together, protecting one another, and making sure no member faces a difficult time alone.
Union members come from every profession and every community. They build our infrastructure, educate our children, care for our families, protect our neighborhoods, transport our goods, keep our communities running, and provide countless essential services every day.
Behind every hard hat, uniform, badge, desk, steering wheel, classroom, and workplace is a person who may be carrying challenges that others cannot see.
That is why suicide prevention and mental health awareness matter to every union and every member.
One of the greatest strengths of the labor movement is its sense of community. Union members understand what it means to have someone's back.
That same principle can make a meaningful difference when someone is struggling with their mental health.
Sometimes support begins with something as simple as asking:
“How are you doing?”
And then taking the time to genuinely listen.
A coworker who seems withdrawn, a friend who hasn't been themselves lately, or a union brother or sister going through a difficult period may need someone to notice and reach out.
We don't have to have all the answers. We simply need to be willing to start the conversation.
For generations, many workplaces have valued toughness, resilience, and the ability to push through difficult situations. Those qualities can be strengths, but they should never prevent someone from asking for help.
Seeking support is not weakness.
Creating workplaces and union communities where members feel comfortable talking about mental health can help remove the stigma that too often prevents people from reaching out.
Union leaders, employers, benefit funds, healthcare partners, coworkers, friends, and families can all play a role in creating that culture.
Talk. Reach out. Listen. Support. Be there.
Small actions can have a much greater impact than we realize.
Mental health challenges do not discriminate by profession.
Construction workers may face physically demanding work, injuries, job uncertainty, and time away from family. First responders regularly encounter traumatic situations. Healthcare professionals carry enormous emotional responsibilities. Educators and public-sector workers experience their own workplace pressures and stresses.
Transportation, utility, sanitation, manufacturing, service, and countless other union workers face challenges unique to their industries as well.
That is why suicide prevention cannot belong to one trade, profession, or industry.
It belongs to all of us.
If you or someone you know is struggling or experiencing a mental health or suicide crisis, help is available.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 or seek emergency medical assistance.
Union members may also have additional mental health resources available through their union, health and welfare fund, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), healthcare provider, or other benefit programs.
Knowing where these resources are before a crisis occurs can make it easier to find help when it is needed.
At the ULA Network, our mission is to Support, Educate and Promote the union community. Suicide Prevention Month reinforces an important part of that mission: supporting the people behind the work.
We encourage union leaders, members, partners, employers, and families to use September as an opportunity to start conversations about mental health, share available resources, and check in on the people around them.
Because being union means more than the work we perform.
It means community. It means solidarity. And it means looking out for one another.
All unions. All members. One community.
Together, we support. Together, we prevent. Together, we save lives.
If you or someone you know needs immediate emotional support or is experiencing a suicide or mental health crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.