Fallen Workers Honored at Workers’ Memorial Day Event

Workers, Labor leaders and government officials gathered Tuesday for a Workers’ Memorial Day event in Midtown Manhattan to honor New Yorkers who have died or suffered injury or illness on the job, and to renew the fight for strong workplace safety protections. The event was organized by the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO and the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH), and the program included remarks by New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su and 32BJ SEIU Executive Vice President Israel Melendez.

Held in front of 345 Park Avenue, the site of a workplace shooting last summer that claimed the lives of four workers, the event honored New Yorkers who have died on the job over the past year. The names of more than 40 workers were read aloud, including 32BJ SEIU member Aland Etienne and PBA member Detective Didarul Islam (promoted posthumously), who were among those killed at this site and whose unions were in attendance.

Once again, construction was the most dangerous industry, with at least ten known fatalities. At least eleven workers honored from a variety of industries died as a result of workplace violence.

Workers’ Memorial Day comes at a time of growing concern over weakened workplace safety enforcement. More than 380 workers are killed every day in the United States due to preventable workplace hazards, and federal OSHA resources and staffing have declined to historic lows, leaving too many employers unaccountable. Speakers called for stronger enforcement, stronger standards, and the protection of workers’ right to organize, and noted that Black, Latino, and immigrant workers face disproportionate risks on the job. Read more here and view video and photos from the event.

Ahead of the annual commemoration, the AFL-CIO released its 35th annual “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect” report, a comprehensive analysis of the state of workers’ health and safety at the national and state levels. The report found that 55 years after OSHA opened its doors, workers are dying and being injured on the job as the Trump administration cuts essential funding and staffing and directs resources away from the agencies and policies that protect workers and hold employers accountable. Read the report highlights here.