NYC Workers, Labor Leaders and Elected Officials Commemorate Workers’ Memorial Day

New York City workers, labor leaders, elected officials, and community members gathered yesterday at City Hall Park in Manhattan to mark Workers’ Memorial Day, honoring workers who have died or suffered illness or injuries while on the job in our City over the past year. The annual commemoration was organized by the NYC CLC and the New York Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH). During the ceremony, the names of 43 workers who are known to have died on the job since last Workers' Memorial Day were read aloud, though we acknowledge that there are many more whose names will go unrecognized. Workers and advocates also called for action to prevent workplace violence, which continues to be a significant and worsening problem in the United States and is the third-leading cause of death on the job nationally.

Thank you to all who were able to join us to honor those who were lost, and recommit ourselves to the fight for strong safety and health protections for all working people. Click here to stream the full event including remarks by NYS Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon, NYC Council Committee on Civil Service and Labor Chair Carmen De La Rosa, NYC Council Council Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection Chair Julie Menin, pharmacy worker and member of the Executive Board of the NY/NJ Regional Joint Board of Workers United Charles Simmons, RWDSU Retail Action Project Organizer Eno Awotowe, and Chairperson of the CSEA Metro Region Safety and Health Committee Deb Hanna.