Workers Memorial Day: Mourn for the dead, fight for the living
For many, going to work is an everyday task completed without fear of injury or death. Men and women sit at their desks, finishing necessary assignments and returning home to relax or spend time with their family.
For others, that reassurance does not exist. Every day is a risk for workers in unsafe surroundings, subject to the negligence of their employers. Decades passed before anything was done to regulate these substandard conditions.
April 28 marks the 1971 decision to establish the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970. The act holds employers responsible in ensuring that work environments are safe for their employees.
Workers Memorial Day is an annual commemoration of OSHA, although it doesn’t serve strictly to celebrate the progress made in 43 years. It’s a day of recognition for all the workers who died and the grief felt by their friends and families. Even more, it’s a day to recommit to safety standards.
In the words of the AFL-CIO, “mourn for the dead, fight for the living.”
More than four decades after OSHA’s creation, workers still face unsafe and unhealthy work sites. Today alone 12 workers will die while on the job. Another 150 workers will succumb to an occupational injury or disease. In a year, more than 50,000 will lose their life in an attempt to make a living.
In some cases, diseases or injuries are quickly identified and remedied. For others, especially those who worked with asbestos before the dangers were publicly acknowledged, the effects silently wait for decades until it’s too late.
At Goldberg, Persky & White, we’re proud to serve you and thank you for your hard work and dedication in building this country, even when it cost the ultimate price.
Making a living shouldn’t take your life. Let us help you get it back.
