About

Our mission

Prevent injuries and illnesses to young workers through outreach, advocacy, and sharing of resources with young workers, educators, employers, parents, and labor organizations.

Board

Current board members include:

• Pam Ahr – affiliation: SAIF
• Chuck Easterly – member at large
• Laurel Kincl – affiliation: Oregon State University
• Jason Lord – affiliation: OHSU
• Dede Montgomery – affiliation: Legacy Health
• Renee Stapleton – affiliation: Oregon OSHA

Meetings

• O[yes] holds meetings monthly, rotating between Portland and Salem locations. Meetings are open to all O[yes] supporters.

O[yes] Board Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Aligning with O[yes]’s mission to prevent injuries and illnesses to young workers, we acknowledge that workplaces are not free from racism.  We resolve to develop and implement strategies that will actively engage in work toward diversity, equity and inclusion for all within O[yes], and in O[yes]’s outreach, advocacy and initiatives. We stand in solidarity with all those doing the hard work to move workplaces and communities forward to more equal and just places.

Key projects

• The O[yes] media contest engages teens throughout Oregon in developing a safety message aimed at their peers. High school finalists are invited to attend a screening event and the top three entries are awarded cash prizes ranging from $300 to $500, with matching amounts awarded to their school for first place.
• O[yes] developed a free online training for young workers funded by an Oregon OSHA Training Grant.
• O[yes] and its members host a special “Student Day” at the Oregon Governor’s Occupational Safety & Health (GOSH) Conference. Students receive safety training they can apply on the job and are matched with safety professionals to explore more than 100 safety exhibits.
• Talking Safety is a dynamic curriculum designed to reach teens through their high school classrooms or other group setting. O[yes] members can train educators or others to deliver these key occupational safety and health messages for teens.

Events

O[yes] members attend events throughout the state to reach teens, parents, educators, and employers with key safety and health messages. Some activities include the Women in Trades Conference, Northwest Ag Expo, GOSH, Northwest Youth Expo, and many regional safety conferences.

O[yes] combines the resources from our members.

Are you interested in knowing more about O[yes] or interested in joining? Contact us at info@youngemployeesafety.org or on our Contact Us page.