Workers Memorial Day is April 28, and the AFL-CIO, which is made up of 56 national and international unions, will observe the day in the hope of renewing the fight for safer jobs.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Mine Safety and Health Act are in place so workers know they have a right to a safe job. The ALF-CIO has worked hard to help ensure that jobs are now safer than ever before, preventing millions of workplace illnesses and injuries and saving hundreds of thousands of lives.
The ALF-CIO, though, knows that many of the job hazards are uncontrolled and unregulated. Many employers violate the law or cut corners, which costs workers their lives and puts other workers in danger. The workers who report job injuries or hazards are often disciplined or fired. Because of this, thousands of workers are killed each year and millions more suffer illness or injury because of the jobs they do.
On April 28, Workers Memorial Day serves as a day to remember those who died while working on-the-job. The AFL-CIO recommends that unions consider the following ways to recognize these workers:
— Organize a rally for safe jobs.
— Create a memorial in the community or workplace where workers have lost their lives.
— Hold a candlelight vigil or request a moment of silence to remember the fallen workers.
If you have lost a loved one due to an on-the-job accident, you may qualify for the workers’ compensation death benefit. An attorney can provide more information on how to proceed with such a claim.
Source: aflcio.org, “Working. For Safe Jobs,” accessed April 22, 2016
