Workers Memorial Day

Every year on April 28, we observe Workers Memorial Day to remember those who have suffered and died on the job from workplace injuries and diseases. It is our opportunity to renew our efforts for safe workplaces and bring together workers, their families, community-based worker centers, unions, environmentalists, and other health and safety advocates in a unified effort to alert the public and the government to our outrage and our demands for action that leads to better workplace health and safety.

Four decades ago, Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act, promising every worker the right to a safe job.  COSH groups and our allies have fought hard to make that promise a reality—winning protections that have made jobs safer, saved hundreds of thousands of lives and prevented millions of workplace injuries and illnesses.

But our work is not done.  Many job hazards are unregulated and uncontrolled.  Some employers cut corners and violate the law, putting workers in serious danger and costing lives. Each year thousands of workers are killed and millions more injured or diseased because of their jobs.

For access to a Workers Memorial Day factsheet please scroll below.

 

 

Workers Memorial Day Reports

AFL-CIO Death on the Job Report 2012:

http://www.aflcio.org/Issues/Job-Safety/Death-on-the-Job-Report

 

California Dying at Work Report 2012:

http://socalcosh.org/documents/Dying-at-Work-in-CA-2012.pdf  (English)

http://socalcosh.org/documents/Resumen-Ejecutivo.pdf   (Executive Summary in Spanish)

 

2012 Dying for Work in Massachusetts Report:       

http://www.mediafire.com/?3os7hrkgzldhldy

 

2012 North Carolina Workers: Dying For a Job:

 

 

Workers Memorial Day Events

California

Southern California COSH (SoCalCOSH)

Workers Memorial Day Commemoration

Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 10am

UCLA Downtown Labor Center 

675 S. Park View St. Los Angeles, CA  90057

To RSVP and for more info please visit www.socalworkersmemorialday.org

Co-Sponsors: UCLA-LOSH

 

Northern California]  Worksafe

Workers Memorial Day Commemoration and Reception
Friday, April 27, 2012  |  12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m.
Oakland Asian Cultural Center
388 9th Street, Suite 290  |  Oakland, CA 94607
To RSVP and for more information, please visit: http://bit.ly/Memorial-2012

Special Guests & Speakers
Numerous workers and their representatives

Jordan Barab, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA
Marty Morgenstern, Secretary of the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency
Christine Baker, Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations
Ellen Widess, Chief of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health
California State Assemblymember Michael Allen (D-Sonoma County)

 

Illinois 

Workers Memorial Day Commemoration

Monday April 23, 5:30 PM

Worker’s Memorial Monument , City Hall

Address: 419 Fulton St, Peoria IL

For more info contact:  Mike Everett 309-673-3691 or Steve Mitchell 309-397-9081

Sponsored by the Labor Council of West Central Illinois

 

Kentucky

Workers Memorial Day Commemoration

Saturday, April 28, 1:00 PM

Address: 4001 Athens Boonesboro Rd (Jacobson Park), Lexington, KY

For more info contact:  Tammy Miser  859-338-9144 tammy@usmwf.org

 .

Massachusetts

Massachusetts COSH (MassCOSH)

Workers Memorial Breakfast and Public Commemoration

Thursday, April 26, 2012

11:00am Breakfast 12:00pm Commemoration

Massachusetts State House

437 B, 24 Beacon Street  Boston, MA 02133    

For more information please contact:  Jeff Newton, (617) 825-7233 x14, jeff.newton@masscosh.org

www.masscosh.org

Co-Sponsors: Mass. AFL-CIO, Greater Boston Labor Council

MassCOSH plans to issue a joint report on workplace fatalities in Massachusetts.

 

Workers Memorial Day Commemoration [Western MassCOSH]

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Safety Expo Training 1-4 PM 141

TEAMSTERS HALL LOCAL 404 115 Progress Ave, Springfield, MA

For more information please contact: mikeflorio@comcast.net

 

Nebraska

Workers Memorial Day Commemoration and Training

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Safety Expo Training 1-4 PM 141 N 9^th St, Lincoln NE

Nebraska's Third Annual Workers' Memorial Day Vigil

Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the State Capitol of Nebraska

To RSVP and for more information please contact: Tonya Ford 402-326-3107 fordtonya@gmail.com

Co-Sponsors: USMWF

 

New Hampshire

New Hampshire COSH (NH COSH)

Workers Memorial Day Commemoration

Thursday, April 26, 2012

5:30am - 8:30pm – Buffet Dinner Provided

Plumbers and Steamfitters Hall

161 Londonderry Turnpike

Hooksett, NH 03106

To RSVP and for more information please contact: Sandi at (603) 232-4406 or schabot@nhcosh.org

Co-Sponsors: NH AFL-CIO and Manchester Central Labor Council

 

New York

Capital District Area Labor Federation AFL-CIO

Workers Memorial Day Commemoration

Saturday, April 28, 2012

10:30am

James Connelly Monument

Riverfront Park, Front St Troy

To RSVP and for more information please contact: Jackie Vanacore coordinator@cdalf.org

 

Workers Memorial Day Commemoration

St. Patrick’s Cathedral (Fifth Avenue between 50th and 51st streets) NYC

2 PM.

New York City Building Construction Trades Council & the New York Building Trades Employers' Association

 

Workers Memorial Day Commemoration

Monday April 30^th

5:30 PM

St Patrick’s Church

5^th Ave and Main St, Bayshore, NY.

 

North Carolina

Workers Memorial Day Commemoration and Press Event

Friday April 27, 12:00 noon

Department of Labor Office

Address 4 W. Edenton St., Raleigh, Raleigh, NC

For more info contact: Tom O'Connor

Sponsored by the Triangle Area Jobs with Justice Organizing Committee and National COSH

 

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Area Project on Occupational Safety and Health (Philaposh)

Workers Memorial Day Breakfast and Commemoration

Friday, April 27, 2012 at 8:30am

Sheet Metal Workers Hall

1301 S. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia 19147

Seating at Breakfast:  $50.00 per individual/$500.00 per table of ten

For more information call (215) 386-7000 or email bjlogue@yahoo.com

Co-Sponsors: Philadelphia County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO

 

The Allegheny Labor Council

Workers Memorial Day Commemoration

Friday, April 27, at 12:00 PM

Market Square Pittsburgh

 

Texas

Workers Memorial Day Commemoration

Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 10 AM – 11:30 AM

South West Multi Service Center, Houston

1301 S. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia 19147

For more information call Laura Perez-Boston 832-755-7013

Co-Sponsors: Houston COSH, HIWJ, USMWF, Harris County AFL-CIO Labor Council

 

Washington

UW Environmental Health and Safety Department, and the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies Workers Memorial Day Commemoration

Friday, April 27, 2012 at 11:30am

Sylvan Theater, UW Seattle WA

http://depts.washington.edu/frcg

Co-Sponsors: WFSE Local 1488/AFSCME Council 28, UAW Local 4121, ML King County Labor Council, WSNA, SEIU 925, UW United Students Against Sweatshops.

 

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries Worker Memorial Day ceremony

Thursday, April 26 2 p.m.

Labor  and industry Central Building in Tumwater, Wash.

For more information contact: Hector Castro (360) 902-6043

 

Wisconsin

WisCOSH Workers Memorial Day Commemoration

Saturday, April 28 2012 at  10 AM -12:00 PM followed by Noon Rally

American Postal Worker's Union Hall 417 N. 3rd St., Milwaukee

 For more information call : Jim Schultz  (414) 933-2338

Co-Sponsors: Milwaukee Area Labor Council

Additional Workers Memorial Day Events

In addition to the National COSH, a number of other organizations also sponsor Workers Memorial Day events. You can learn more about them by clicking on these links below.

AFL-CIO

United Support and Memorial For Workplace Fatalities

Hazards.org

Updates will be posted on the National COSH Website. Please let us know of additional events.