Workers Speak Out for Safer Jobs on Workers' Memorial Day

April 25, 2001
Thousands of workers in dozens of cities will mark Workers'\r\nMemorial Day, April 28, to remember workers killed or injured on the\r\njob.

Thousands of workers in dozens of cities will mark Workers'' Memorial Day, April 28, to remember workers killed or injured on the job.

Workers and local activists will hold a range of events on Saturday, including memorial services, candlelight vigils, educational workshops, conferences, marches and rallies.

According to AFL-CIO, many of the events this year will also shine a spotlight on the need for stronger health and safety protections in the workplace by demanding President Bush, Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and members of Congress develop a new federal OSHA ergonomics standard.

Today, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney will join member of Congress and injured workers on Capitol Hill at a press conference to call on the Bush administration to develop a new standard.

On Thursday, AFL-CIO officials and injured workers will testify at a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS and Education on the need for an ergonomics standard.

Chao is also scheduled to testify at the hearing.

"There is an urgent need for a new standard. And it''s a scandal that the President and Republican congressional leaders continue to drag their feet," said Sweeney. "Each week, 35,000 workers are found to have job-related repetitive stress injuries. Many of these injuries could have been prevented if a strong job safety standard had been in place."

Saturday, AFL-CIO will release its annual report, "Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect; a State-by-State Profile of Worker Safety and Health in the United States." The report provides the number of work-related fatalities, injuries and illnesses in each state in 1999, the latest data available from the Department of Labor.

Overall, 6,000 workers died from on-the-job injuries in 1999 nationally, 50,000 died from occupational diseases, and all jobsite injuries totaled 5.7 million, according to the Labor Department''s latest figures.

The first Workers'' Memorial Day was observed in 1989. This year, April 28 is especially significant because it commemorates the 30th anniversary of the establishment of OSHA.

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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