The unions of the AFL-CIO observe Workers’ Memorial Day to remember those who have suffered and died on the job and to renew the fight for safe jobs.
This year we commemorate the workers in Indiana who lost their lives at work. We will come together to call for work in this country that is safe and healthy and pays fair wages. We will celebrate the victories won by working people and commit to fighting until all workers have safe jobs and the freedom to form unions without the threat of retaliation.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act and Mine Safety and Health Act — which became law on April 28, 1970 — promises workers the right to a safe job. Unions 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 now the Trump administration is pushing to roll back and weaken regulations. The president has ordered that all existing rules must be reviewed and that for every new protection, two existing safeguards must be removed from the books. At the same time, Republicans in Congress have moved quickly to overturn rules issued by the Obama administration.
While we rededicate ourselves to work to make all workplaces safe, this year we will honor those families from our community who lost a loved one who died on the job. Join us on Friday, April 26 at 4:00 pm at South Bend Park’s O’Brien Community Center at 321 E. Walter St. in South Bend.
Tony Flora is the president of the North Central Indiana AFL-CIO Chapter.
