September is Suicide Prevention Month

Stand Closer

Suicide Prevention Month for Union Leaders, Members, and Families

Some injuries aren’t visible. They don’t come with a cast, a scar, or a workers’ comp form. They show up as silence, distance, or a smile that doesn’t quite reach the eyes. This September, we honor National Suicide Prevention Month with a simple truth: connection saves lives. And there is no community more qualified to lead with connection than ours.

Union members—on job sites, in stations, behind the wheel, on the line—already know how to show up for each other. We buddy up for safety, we spot each other on lifts, we check the rigging twice, we don’t let anyone work alone in a dangerous corner. Suicide prevention asks us to bring that same muscle memory to our mental and emotional lives: stand closer, look out for one another, and act when something’s off.

This is a tribute to those who found a way through—who raised a hand, made a call, spoke to a steward, a chaplain, a peer, a counselor, and chose to stay. Your courage lights the way for others. And it’s a remembrance of those we’ve lost to this silent killer—friends, siblings, spouses, parents, children, apprentices, retirees. Their names matter. Their stories matter. We carry them with us when we choose connection over isolation, when we ask the second question, when we take five minutes on a busy day to check in.

It touches every family

Suicide can affect anyone—any age, gender, background, title, or trade. It doesn’t care about a person’s toughness, rank, or accomplishments. For some, it’s a storm fueled by stress, injury, chronic pain, sleep disruption, substance use, or trauma. For others, it’s a low, steady fog that convinces them their struggles are a burden to the people they love. Both are lies that connection can help interrupt.

That’s why prevention is everyone’s job. You don’t have to be a clinician to make a difference. You only need three tools: notice, ask, act.

Notice: trust your gut

You know your co-workers, your members, your family. When something changes, pay attention—especially after a loss, injury, financial hit, relationship change, or critical incident at work.

Signs may include:

• Withdrawing from crew, family, or activities they usually enjoy
• Big mood swings; persistent sadness, irritability, or “numbness”
• Talking about feeling trapped, hopeless, or like a burden
• Increased risk-taking, substance use, or missing shifts
• Giving away possessions or saying goodbye in unusual ways
• A sudden, unexplained calm after a time of distress

No single sign “proves” anything. But any sign is enough to lean in.

Ask: be direct, be human

Asking about suicide will not “put the idea in someone’s head.” It tells them they don’t have to hide.

Try:

• “I’ve noticed you’ve seemed really down and distant. I care about you. When it’s hardest, what kinds of thoughts come up for you?”
• “You’re important to this team. Are you feeling overwhelmed or like you don’t see a way through right now?”
• “I’m here to listen—no judgment. Let’s talk, or we can call someone together.”

Avoid minimizing (“It’s not that bad”), moralizing (“You shouldn’t feel that way”), or quick fixes (“Just cheer up”). Listening is the most powerful thing you can do.

Act: don’t leave them alone with it

If they say “yes”—or if your gut says this is serious—stay with them and connect to help:

• Call or text 988 (U.S.) for 24/7 confidential support, or chat at 988lifeline.org.
• If there’s immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
• Offer to make the call together. Sit with them. Bring in a trusted person—partner, friend, steward, supervisor, chaplain.
• Help them remove immediate means if it’s safe to do so, and don’t leave them alone until help arrives.

If they say “no,” thank them for trusting you. Keep the door open: “I’m here anytime. Let’s check in again tomorrow.” Then follow up.

The power of small connections

You don’t need a program to practice prevention. You need habits:

• Five-minute rule: pick one person each day to text or call—“Thinking of you. How’s today going?”
• Do the second ask: after “I’m fine,” try, “I hear you. How are you really?”
• Invite them in: coffee before shift, lunch away from the noise, a walk after work.
• Bring people along: to union meetings, game nights, AA/NA meetings, peer-support groups, faith gatherings, or neighborhood events.
• Check on the edges: apprentices, new hires, workers on night shifts, folks recovering from injury, those recently retired or widowed—transitions can be risky times.
• Random acts of caring: leave a note in a locker, drop off a meal, share a ride, help with a small task that’s been piling up. Tiny signals say “you matter.”

For leaders and stewards

Culture is set by the first and last five minutes of the day.

• Start of shift “safety + well-being minute”: normalize quick check-ins alongside PPE and lockout/tagout.
• Post-incident protocols: after a tough call, close call, or fatality on a site, schedule decompression time and peer check-ins; rotate high-exposure roles where possible.
• Make help visible: post EAP details, 988, local clinics, peer-support contacts, chaplain hours—on bulletin boards, apps, and paystubs.
• Train peer supporters: choose respected members across shifts and crews; give them time and support to do the work.
• Protect time: allow members to step away for a call with a counselor or peer without stigma.
• Language from the top: leaders who say “I’ve had hard seasons too—and help helped” give permission to others.

For families

Home is where people exhale. Ask gentle, specific questions:

• “You’ve been quiet since the double shift. Want to take a walk?”
• “On a scale of 1–10, where’s your stress today? What would make a one-point difference?”
• “How can I support you right now—sit with you while you call, or we can text 988 together if that’s easier?”

Keep routines when you can—meals, sleep, fresh air. Celebrate the small wins. Stay connected to your own support, too; caregivers need care.

Honoring those we’ve lost

We say their names. We remember their craft, their laughter, their stubbornness, their kindness. We honor them by building the culture we wish they’d had: one where pain can be spoken out loud and help is just another tool we bring to the job. Grief doesn’t have a clock. If you are grieving, connection helps there, too. Talk with a peer, a counselor, a faith leader, a trusted friend. There’s no “right” timeline—there’s only the next honest step.

Hope is a team sport

To everyone who has walked to the edge and stepped back: thank you for choosing to stay, for doing the work of healing, for telling the truth so others can find a way. Your story is a lifeline.

To everyone hurting right now: we see you. You are not alone. Help is real, and it works. One conversation—today—can change the whole arc.

This month’s call to action

1. Check in: Pick three names—one co-worker, one family member, one neighbor or retiree—and reach out this week.
2. Act on signals: If your gut says something’s wrong, ask directly and stay with them while you connect to help.
3. Share resources: Post or text this: “Need to talk? Call or text 988 anytime for free, confidential help.”
4. Carry it forward: Make connection a habit beyond September—on your crew, in your local, around your kitchen table.

If you or someone you love needs help now

• Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org (24/7, free, confidential, U.S.)
• In immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

This month—and every month—let’s do what unions do best: look out for one another. Stand closer. Ask the hard questions. Make the call. Together, we can make sure more of us see another sunrise.