Marking Workers' Memorial Day (4/28/08)

Today is Workers’ Memorial Day.  It is a day to remember and honor those workers who have been killed on the job, and to recommit ourselves to help prevent future workplace deaths. 

In the United States during 2006 5,840 workers were killed on the job.  This was an increase of 106 over 2005.  Work-related diseases claimed the lives of an additional estimated 50,000 workers.

Not all groups share this burden equally.  17 percent of all fatalities in 2006 were Hispanic workers, including RWDSU member Guillermo Alvarez.

The tragedy is that work-related injuries and deaths are preventable.  Many jobs may be potentially dangerous, but they don’t have to be deadly. 

To cut deaths on the job we need to make sure our employers are truly committed to health and safety, and that they do not promote, encourage or overlook unsafe work procedures in order to promote productivity.  And we need to realize that taking short cuts on the job are not worth the risk of a serious injury. 

On the national front, we need a Congress and President committed to significantly increased funding for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Mine Safety Administration and the Chemical Safety Board.  And at OSHA, we need a commitment to meaningful enforcement of workplace standards and the prompt development of new regulations to respond to emerging problems. 

One death on the job is one death too many!