About Webinar Series
Our SCERC Guest Speaker Series will feature students and experts from academia, government, labor, and community organizations who will present emerging research, real-world applications, and policy perspectives in occupational and environmental health.
From Test Scores to Total Health: How the Los Angeles Black Worker Center’s Charter Reform Campaign is Redefining Worker Safety, Equity, and Public Health
Presentation Overview
What if the most dangerous hazard a worker faces isn't just a toxic chemical or an unguarded machine—but a civil service exam and outdated hiring practices? In this webinar, Tara Perkins and Yodit Semu from the Los Angeles Black Worker Center (LABWC) will argue that employment policies are fundamentally health interventions. Drawing directly from our 1,000 Strong Campaign and our Ready to Work (R2W) program—which provides essential skill training and industry-specific mentorship to Black workers—we will show how discriminatory hiring practices, including the civil service exam, operate as structural and psychosocial hazards for Black workers in Los Angeles.
Intended Audience
This webinar is intended for employers, management, health and safety professionals, industrial hygienists, union representatives, worker advocates, workers, students, faculty, researchers, and policymakers.
About Speaker
Tara Perkins, Lead Program Specialist, Los Angeles Black Worker Center (LABWC)
Tara Perkins holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health with honors from California State University, Northridge, where she built a strong foundation in health equity, community wellness, and the social determinants of health. Her academic journey has been rooted in advancing equitable outcomes for underserved communities. During this time, she served as a Research Assistant at the Health. Opportunities. Mobile-Health. Mamas. Equity Lab, contributing to research on stress among birth doulas. This experience strengthened her interest in maternal health, workforce well-being, and the connection between workplace conditions and health outcomes. Tara Perkins spent the past four years as a Program Specialist with the Los Angeles Black Worker Center, supporting Black workers through advocacy, workforce development, and economic justice initiatives. She contributes to programs such as Ready 2 Work and the Steward’s Council, where she focuses on member engagement, leadership development, and collective action. Her work sits at the intersection of public health and economic justice, grounded in the belief that the Black jobs crisis is a public health crisis and that equitable access to employment is essential to building healthier communities.
Yodit Semu, MA, Program Coordinator, Los Angeles Black Worker Center (LABWC)
Yodit Semu is a Senior Sustainability Strategist and Program Manager with 10+ years of experience at the intersection of environmental justice, workforce equity, and community health. She currently leads a workforce development program at the Los Angeles Black Worker Center that prepares opportunity youth for sustainable careers with strong job placement outcomes. Previously at UCLA-Labor Occupational Safety and Health, she directed a federal environmental job training program across three states, successfully placing participants into environmental health fields. Yodit has also led sustainability for Disney Studios and Array Now, integrating green production practices with equity-centered design. She holds an MA in Urban Sustainability from Antioch University and has presented at the EPA Brownfields Conference and NIEHS National Trainers' Exchange. She brings a deep commitment to aligning climate action, health and safety, and fairness in workforce development.
Continuing Education Contact Hours
- Certified Industrial Hygienists (CIH) may be eligible to earn up to 1.5 contact hours for this event. Visit the BGC CIH Recertification Program for more information.
- Certified Safety Professionals may be eligible to earn up to 1.5 contact hours (0.15 points) for this event. Visit Professional Development Conferences for more information.
- The Southern California Education and Research Center is a provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number 17741 for 1.5 contact hours.
- General Continuing Education Contact Hours - 1.5
Webinar Details
Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM PST
Location: Zoom
Webinar Flyer
Previous Topics & Recordings
Presentation Overview
Dr. Bonney, an Assistant Professor in the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago, discussed findings from a national study examining how local health departments (LHDs) across the United States engaged with workplaces during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the barriers and facilitators that shaped their ability to investigate outbreaks and support mitigation efforts. Her presentation covered the complex landscape of authority for regulating infectious hazards in U.S. workplaces, a landscape in which public health agencies, employers, and OSHA each play distinct roles that do not always align neatly during rapidly evolving emergencies. LHD capacities, such as staffing, occupational health expertise, relationships with employers, and resource constraints, influenced real-world responses to COVID-19 in diverse jurisdictions. LHDs’ capacities have implications for ongoing challenges in protecting workers from airborne infectious diseases, and Dr. Bonney’s study highlights opportunities to strengthen cross-sector coordination, improve surveillance and response capabilities, and build more resilient occupational and public health systems for future pandemics.
February 26, 2026: Occupational Health Rulemaking in California
Presentation Overview
Eric Berg, Deputy Chief of Health for Cal/OSHA, presented on recently enacted and upcoming occupational health worker protections in the state of California.
February 12, 2026: Addressing Worker Mental Health: Current Issues and Why It Matters
Presentation Overview
Dr. Rosemberg, an Associate Professor and Director of the Occupational Health Nursing Program at the University of Michigan School of Nursing, presented on the current state of worker mental health and its impact at both the individual and organizational levels. A case example was included to illustrate the urgency of this issue in real-world work environments. The session concluded with examples of existing programs to support the mental health and wellbeing of workers and a call to action for current and future occupational health professionals.
Presentation Overview
Dr. Jin Jun, Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University College of Nursing and the Principal Investigator the Occupations and Well-being (OWL) lab, presented on how employment conditions, such as wages, scheduling, and workplace policies, function as structural determinants of health for healthcare support workers (e.g., nursing assistants). Her research examines the ways systemic factors shape physical, mental, and social well-being, highlighting disparities and vulnerabilities within this essential workforce. The session discussed implications for health equity and proposed strategies to address structural barriers through policy and organizational change.