Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, May 10, 2019 Citywide “stand downs” to honor construction worker lives lost to opioid crisis T BTEA ends Building Trades for Recovery Week with job site events in Seaport District & Charlestown The second stand down took he first-ever Building Trades for Recovery conference, which was organized by the Building Trades Employers’ Association (BTEA) came to a close this afternoon with two “stand downs” on two different construction sites. All work halted and hundreds of workers bowed their heads in silence for 150 seconds to honor the 150 construction workers lost per 100,000 to the opioid crisis. “If you’re out there struggling, please tell someone in your union – your employer, your coworker, your family. Please come forward. We’ll help you. We’ll get you in rehab and get you back to work as soon as possible,” BTEA Director of Labor Relations Tom Gunning Jr. said. “I hope next year when we’re standing here for Recovery Week, we can say we’ve made a difference and we’ve helped someone in the building trades make a new start.” The first stand down took place in the early morning on a John Moriarty & Associates site place at the Lee Kennedy Construction Co. Hood Plant Project in the early afternoon. President/CEO Lee Kennedy has taken a leadership role in the fight against the opioid crisis, by committing to carry Narcan on every job site. The company’s personnel attended trainings during the conference to ensure its safe use to save lives in the event of an overdose. Conference organizers announced an initiative this week to encourage every job site to carry Narcan. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh during the recent stand down in Boston’s Seaport District. Organized by the Building Trades Employers’ Association, the stand down was held to honor construction workers who have lost their lives to substance abuse. (Courtesy Photos) in the Seaport District. Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh urged workers to be part of the solution. “Construction workers should be leading the way in fighting back on stigma – to let people know it’s okay to go Award-Winning Landscaping Servicing the North Shore for over 38 Years for treatment; it’s okay to let somebody know that there’s a disease out there; and it’s okay to admit that,” Walsh said. “It should start right here on this construction site and in the city of Boston, and we should lead the way for the rest of the country.” The impact of the stand down was felt immediately. Afterwards, a worker at the site came forward to say he was struggling with opioid use and needed help. That worker has been referred to treatment. “We’re trying to get awareness out there about a serious issue, a real crisis that is all across the country – particularly in Massachusetts. We’re two times the national rate as a state,” Kennedy said. “Five people die in Massachusetts every day from an opioid overdose – 2,000 annually – so the idea to put Narcan on the job sites is awesome, and I take great pride that the people on our team thought of it.” OPIOID CRISIS | SEE PAGE 17 NOW BOOKING NEW CUSTOMERS! DON’T WAIT! Call 781-321-2074 Pavers * Walkways * Patios * Driveways * Pool Decks Planting * Perennials * Shrubs * Trees New Lawns * Sod * Hydroseed Flowers/Annuals/Mums * Conventional Seeding * Synthetic Complete Maintenance * Cleanups (Spring & Fall) * Lawn Cutting, Edging & Weeding * Lawn Fertilizer Programs * Trim & Prune Shrubs * Mulching, Thatching Interlock Block * Fire Pits * Sitting Walls * Pillers Landscape Lighting * Design * Install * Repair * Night Illumination
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