The BRTA/LRTA program recognizes those who excel in effective employee/employer education, manager and labor leader training, policy development, philanthropic endeavors and community outreach in the realm of HIV and AIDS.
The Oakland Business and Labor Responds to AIDS (BRTA/LRTA) Project has developed a flourishing partnership with the Black Wall Street District, a premier grassroots association of 280 merchants in Oakland, CA. In addition to displaying HIV prevention and testing messages in member stores, the association publishes a business directory that has helped BRTA/LRTA identify other potential business partners. The Black Wall Street District also produces quarterly sales coupons that are distributed throughout a four-mile radius. In the most recent printing, the association distributed to customers 100,000 sales coupons imprinted with BRTA/LRTA project information and messaging as well as the tagline, "Preserve The Good Times." With input from merchants and community members, the Alameda County Public Health Department created this HIV prevention tagline for use on the coupons and for posters, postcards, and point of sale materials used by local merchants participating in the BRTA/LRTA project.
Another successful partnership has been developed with "Get Screened Oakland," the Mayor's Health Initiative. BRTA/LRTA and the Mayor's Health Initiative conducted a joint event on June 27, 2008, National HIV Testing Day, to launch the BRTA/LRTA "Stopping AIDS is Everyone's Business" Campaign. This BRTA/LRTA message has been incorporated into all of Get Screened Oakland's materials and media efforts. The National HIV Testing Day event featured local business owners and community leaders who spoke from the heart about the importance of getting tested for HIV, increasing awareness and education about HIV/AIDS, and reducing the stigma. In collaboration with Get Screened Oakland, The Oakland BRTA/LRTA Project hopes to expand and partner with additional businesses outside the initial targeted zip code area.
The Miami Business and Labor Responds to AIDS (BRTA/LRTA) Project has successfully forged partnerships with both African American merchants in Overtown and Liberty City and Hispanic business owners in Little Havana. Local partners created HIV messages in Spanish and English and decided to focus on newspapers as their primary connection with their customers. Combining HIV prevention and testing messages with advertising, merchants have promoted both prevention and their products and services via discounted ad space in the Spanish and English versions of The Miami Herald. BRTA/LRTA maintains partnerships with about 100 Hispanic and 150 African American businesses in the two parallel projects.
Approximately 15 of the 100 business partners in the Chicago Business and Labor Responds to AIDS (BRTA/LRTA) Project have requested that the Chicago Public Health Department teach them and their employees more about HIV/AIDS. So far, health department staff has provided HIV 101 training to 6 merchants and 9 of their employees, enabling them to take the messages back to their customers and co-workers. The HIV 101 training helps to increase awareness and communication about HIV/AIDS, two key messaging components of the Chicago ACT! Against AIDS Campaign.
The new U.S. version of the Business Responds to AIDS/Labor Responds to AIDS Workplace Policy Builder (WPB) tool was adapted under contract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Center for Workplace Excellence. This free resource includes all the resources micro-, small, medium-, and large-sized businesses need to develop a comprehensive HIV/AIDS workplace policy.
The software also provides a broad overview of applicable national, state, and local laws as they relate to HIV/AIDS. It includes suggestions for building HIV/AIDS workplace programs and policies that conform to Federal legal requirements and expectations. The following laws must be kept in mind when making decisions that affect any staff/worker with HIV/AIDS:
