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On Workers Memorial Day, New Challenges to Face

May 2, 2011

Working families across the country will mark the 22nd annual Workers Memorial Day April 28 by gathering in union halls, houses of worship and other venues to pay tribute those who have been injured or killed on the job. This year's theme is "Safe Jobs Save Lives. Our Work's Not Done."

2011 has been an historic year for workers’ safety and health. Last month marked the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City which claimed the lives of nearly 150 workers, mostly young women and girls. It was the deadliest industrial accident in the city’s history and sparked public outrage that helped usher in new safety protections for workers.

April 28 is also the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration – the federal agency that enforces safety and health legislation. Since its founding, workplace fatalities have been reduced by around 65 percent, and reported on-the-job injury and illness rates have similarly declined.

But far too many injuries and preventable fatalities still occur. Every day in the U.S., an average of 12 workers die on the job. And each year more than 3 million experience a serious job-related injury or illness.

Recent catastrophic industrial accidents such as the Massey Upper Big Branch coal mine disaster in West Virginia – which claimed 29 miners – as well as the BP/Transocean oil rig explosion that killed 11 workers have underscored the necessity of additional regulations and safety standards in America’s workplaces.

But anti-worker legislators are attempting to erode hard-won gains in job safety. The Republican majority in Congress – strongly backed by big business groups – is trying to block new protections and roll back existing safeguards, as well as targeting OSHA’s budget for future cuts.

This would reverse recent progress in safety and health under the Obama administration. In 2009, the president put more resources into OSHA, hiring inspectors and compliance specialists—many of whom know firsthand what constitutes safety on job sites. As a result, workplace fatalities are again on the decline after climbing during the Bush years.

International President Edwin D. Hill said that the IBEW will continue to be at the forefront of the effort to create safer and healthier workplaces:

The progress we have seen over decades in workplace safety isn’t an accident – it’s a direct result of workers and their unions organizing and demanding action from employers and government. Your job is safer today because your union brothers and sisters fought for the benefit of all workers, so that the corporate urge to cut corners on safety was met with solid resistance.

We pledge to continue the struggle for good, safe jobs for all American workers.

To find a Workers Memorial Day event near you, click here.

For more information, visit the AFL-CIO’s Web site.

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