Each year tens of thousands of workers die from workplace injuries and illnesses. Many workers still have no legal protection, major hazards remain unaddressed and government oversight and enforcement are weak.
As a labor movement, we must remember these losses and pay tribute to workers who have suffered and died on the job. We must also work to educate union members on workplace health and safety and mobilize to fight for safe jobs. That is the reason that since 1989, on April 28 the labor movement has organized and observed Workers Memorial Day. As part of this observance, hundreds of permanent memorials have been dedicated in communities across the country. A national memorial to honor workers who have lost their lives on the job is fitting and appropriate.
The AFL-CIO Executive Council endorses the construction of a permanent workers memorial at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Md. The memorial will serve as a tribute to lives lost on the job, and will raise awareness among union members by facilitating activities such as an annual Workers Memorial Day ceremony commemorating those who have died and a symposium dedicated to prevention and improved safety, health and compensation. The memorial and annual activities will be financed and supported through the sale of engraved bricks and benches as well as other donations, which also will serve to support important programs at the college.